Coven of the Twilight Moon

BIG change for the Coven of the Twilight Moon

2012-01-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

Coven of the Twilight Moon, a coven crafting the Twilight Wicca tradition, will be splitting into two covens, effective Lughnasadh 2012. This is an organic change, as part of the Coven of the Twilight Moon is based in Orange County, and the other part in North Hollywood. Both covens will circle together at least four times and will meet together at least four times in 2013.

This change alleviates the burden of unpredictable traffic, while enabling those of the Twilight Wicca tradition to continue to honor the gods, grow a close-knit community of practicing women witches, and continue on the journey of personal spiritual growth. Those in our Shadow Sister congregational group will be split as well, assigned to the coven that is geographically closest to their home.

The North Hollywood coven, tentatively named Coven of Midnight's Flame, will be led by Aislin Lumina, the current maiden of the Coven of the Twilight Moon. This coven will include sisters Beth, and Rayne, and any dedicants and Shadow Sisters living west of the 710.

The coven in Orange County, tentatively named Twilight Spiral, will be led by Lady Ivy Artemisia, the high priestess of Coven of the Twilight Moon. This coven will include Shadow Sisters and any dedicants east of the 710.

Shadow sisters and aspirants that live in the 710 corridor, along with Pasadena and Long Beach areas, will be encouraged to check out both covens and may choose whether to join Coven of Midnight's Flame or Twilight Spiral Coven at the discretion of the high priestesses.

Two open rituals will still be offered each year, one summer ritual, and Yule. If you have any questions about this, please contact Ivy Artemisia at barefootwitch@gmail.com. For more information about the Twilight Wicca tradition, please visit twilightwicca.com.

Yule (Lore from our 2011 Open Ritual)

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

by Aislin

Yule, or the Winter Solstice, is traditionally celebrated around the 21st or 22nd of December. The wheel of the year brings us to Yule and the God (who died at Samhain) is reborn. Winter Solstice marks a point of dramatic natural change at most places on Earth. One of the most common themes that is played out during this part of the year is the Celtic battle between the aging Holly King (who represents the darkness of the old year) and the young Oak King (who symbolizes the light of the new year). Winter Solstice marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year. From now until Litha, the days will begin to grow longer as we welcome back the returning Sun. On Yule, we honor the Goddess, Mother Earth, for giving birth once more to the Sun.

People around the world celebrate this time of year with varying traditional festivals such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Yule. For this reason, Yule is one of the most widely celebrated of all of the sabbats. The customs and lore have deeply invaded popular cultures and mainstream religions and virtually every culture in the Northern Hemisphere acknowledges this time of year as special in one way or another. It is widely believed that many of the traditional symbols marking this part of the year are actually taken from ancient pagan traditions. For example, the traditional Christmas tree is believed to originate all the way back to the Greeks and Romans of the 8th century. Santa Clause, or Kris Kringle, may actually have his origins in the Aryan God Odin, Lord of the Winds. Wassail comes to us from the Anglo-Saxons and means to hail or salute. Trees were sprinkled with a mixture of eggs, apples, wine, and ale and this was believed to increase fertility and good fortune for the coming year.

Many gods and goddesses were celebrated and hailed during this time of year. Among the gods were Apollo, Balder, Father Sun, Father Winter, Jesus, Saturn, Mithra, Oak King, Odin, Ra, Thor, Woden, and Zeus. Among the goddesses were Demeter, Frigg, Freya, Isis, Mary, Sophia, Mother Night, and Lucina. This year, we have chosen to celebrate Frigg and Baldur. Frigg was a Norse Goddess who had the power of prophesy but she did not always reveal all that she knew. Her name means “love” or “beloved one.” She was the goddess associated with the end of the year, as she sat at her spindle and wove the destiny of both the gods and man. Frigg was also the mother of Baldur, whose father was Odin. Frigg saw the destiny of her son as well as his coming death. She set about to change his destiny and she extracted a promise from all living things that they would play no part in his death. However, she overlooked the Mistletoe plant, which she believed was insignificant. Loki, the Trickster, saw her error, and he made a dart from this poisonous plant, which eventually found it’s way into Baldur’s heart. Hermod, Baldur’s brother and messenger of the Norse gods, felt the pain of his mother over the passing of Baldur and travelled to the underworld to appeal to Hel. She told him that she would only release his brother if all things in the world, living and dead, wept for him as well. All things took pity on her and wept, except for Loki who refused to mourn. Therefore, Frigg and Hermod were ultimately unable to rescue Baldur. However, Frigg is worshiped as a great mother who tried to save her son and she protects all women who are pregnant and giving birth. Tonight, we honor both Frigg and her son Baldur.

Yule by Any Other Name

2011-12-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

by Ivy

Webster’s Dictionary defines Yule as: the feast of the nativity of Jesus Christ. Many other dictionary sources cite similar definitions. So, at first glance, Yule doesn’t seem like it would be a holiday for Pagans to celebrate. After all, think of all the Christmas carols that speak of celebrating yuletide, and bringing Yule cheer!

However, Yule wasn’t always associated with Christmas, and the birth of Christ. Prior to the birth of Christ and the development of the Christian religion, many native people celebrated a winter holiday that occurred on or near the winter solstice. The winter solstice happens on or around December 21 (20-22) each year. The winter solstice marks the longest night of the year. Most ancient European people celebrated this holiday with festivals, each similar to one another, but very different.

The most well-known Pagan winter festival is the festival of Saturnalia- the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Romans celebrated this festival with friends and family in homes decked with laurel and holly. Evergreen boughs were brought into the home and decorated temples as a sign of the cycle of life. No criminals were executed during this time, and schools were closed, and the people rested. Good luck gifts were exchanged with friends and family, and the season was a time of goodwill. Parades and processions through the street were very common during Saturnalia. In the area of Scandinavia, it would be dark for days during the winter months. During this darkness, scouts would be sent to the mountain tops to watch for any sign of the rising sun. Many people would light candles in their windows to help encourage the sun to return. Once the sun returned, the scouts would return to the villages with the good news. A great festival would be held. This festival would be called Yuletide and people would celebrate with bonfires and feast around the Yule log.

The people in the Mesopotamian area celebrated a new year’s festival around the Winter Solstice called Zagmuk. The people of Mesopotamia believed in many gods, but above all, they wor- shipped a chief god, Marduk. They believed that Marduk would do battle with the demons of chaos. During Zagmuk, the people planned to assist Marduk. According to tradition, during this 12 day festival, the King is sup- posed to die as a sacrifice, and return to fight alongside Marduk. However, instead of the king actually dying, the people would dress up a criminal and treat him as royalty for a day. Then, the criminal was slain, sparing the king, but yet aiding Marduk in his fight.

The Persians and the Babylonians celebrated their festival of Sacaea. Their festival was very similar to Zagmuk. One interesting highlight of Sacaea is that during the festival, masters and slaves would change places. Also celebrating a similar holiday were the Greeks, who made sacrifices to aid the God Kronos, who would be gearing up for battle against Zeus and his Titans. For many years, Christmas was celebrated on various dates from December to April. In 350 CE, Pope Julius I decreed that the official date of Christ’s birth was December 25. Many scholars disagree, but since 350 CE, Christmas has been celebrated on that date. Even though most people no longer practice the ancient Pagan festivals, the winter traditions of olde are still evident and practiced each holiday season. Next time you see a Christmas tree, a pile of presents, or lit candles in a window, know that these traditions transcend centuries of celebrations.

Ritual Gathering Dos and Don’ts

2011-12-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick and easy list of ritual circle/ gathering etiquette. This may help those new to the craft, or new to group ritual situations. Blessed be!

Arrive on time. If you are unable to make the circle, notify your host if they think you will be attending
Ask questions before the circle if you have any
Dress appropriately
Try to follow along with the hosting groups ritual actions as best you can – usually much will be explained beforehand
Repeat whenever someone says “blessed be” or “so mote it be” (usually)
Ask one of the coven members for help if you feel ill during the circle
Participate to the best of your ability
Ground and center and do your best to get in a ritual mindset
Be polite and appreciative- your hosts have put a lot of work into the ritual- especially if they aren’t asking for donations, at least be polite and appreciative
Bring what is asked of you- if it’s potluck, bring a dish, if it’s a donation, bring a donation
Walk deosil (clockwise) within the circle whenever possible

Don’t

Let your issues with another guest flavor the event- keep your drama to yourself
Pick up, touch, or move something on the altar that isn’t handed to you, unless you are instructed to do so
Break the circle- don’t put anything outside of the circle once it’s been cast, nor move in and out of the circle
Speak out of turn once the ritual has begun- laughs are fine when appropriate, but don’t have conversations
Be disrespectful to your hosts or other guests
Leave your cell phone one, or bring it into circle
Bring guests, unless you check with your hosts, first
Enter the circle drunk or high
Bring your children, if you haven’t cleared it with your hosts
Ask questions about the ritual, during the ritual
Take photographs during the ritual, unless you’ve cleared it with your hosts
Cut a door in the circle yourself- speak with one of your hosts if you need to leave the circle. You most likely won’t be readmitted.

Eighth Annual Friends and Family Yule Circle

2011-12-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Last night we held our eighth annual Friends and Family Yule Circle, here in La Mirada. We invited new friends and old, and honored Frigga and Baldur under sprinkles that ended up being a light rain. Our ritual included charging a yule log filled with our wishes for the new year. Large holes were drilled in a thick log, and we placed paper inside the holes. Following the circle, we placed the log in one of our fire pits. After everyone left, the sisters of the coven kept vigil until the early hours, ensuring it burned completely.

In addition to raising charged energy for our yule log, we also did an adaptation of a blot- a toasting circle. We've never tried anything like this before, our rituals tend to be pretty serious and quiet, but we had a great time. It was raining on us, however, so we decided to cut the meditation out- as it would have been difficult to concentrate, and there was no sitting on the ground to be had. Because we cut the meditation out, I'm posting it below, as our sister Rayne wrote the beautiful piece, and it's not fair that it would go unread.

After ritual, the altar was removed, and a conversation fire pit was brought out. Of course, as soon as ritual was over, the weather was much better, and our fires were toasty and warm. Though it rained, our candles didn't go out! All in all, 23 people attended our event, and we had around 16 people in our circle (if I counted correctly) - I believe that's our largest circle yet. We'll most likely be holding our next open circle in the Summer. If/when I see pictures of our gathering, I'll post them. Thanks to our friends and family who attended... Blessed be!

See the Yule meditation below:

Sit or stand comfortably. Start by taking a deep breath to the count of 4....Hold it in a few seconds and release it slowly....As you release your breath focus on all of your muscles relaxing. Starting from your head...to your shoulders...your arms and middle...your legs....all the way to your toes.....With each breath relax a little more...Feel all the stress and worry from your day float away....just relax.

As your third eye comes to focus you find yourself on a snow covered path...The snow that has fallen is fresh and it looks like nobody has traveled this path since the snow started. Take a moment to feel the air around you...cold and damp...You bring your cloak closer around you as you start walking down the path....As you walk you notice an object hanging from one of the tree limbs...As you get closer you notice a pretty yellow stone on a ribbon. You wonder for a second why it is there and why it isn’t covered in snow. This thought passes quickly as you reach up and grab it and put it in your pocket.

Continue down the path...It starts to slope slightly down hill....At the end of the slope you come to an opening where there are no trees. You can clearly see the sky. As you look around you notice a woman sitting in the middle of the clearing. As you move closer you notice the woman looks kind and motherly. You approach her and ask her name. She says “You know me child, I am Frigga. I’m here to help you see what’s to come.” You take a seat in front of her. Somehow you hadn’t noticed the smoothed stump there before. Listen as the Goddess tells you the things you need to know for the coming year. ........When she is finished you remember the stone that you put in your pocket earlier and offer it to her...Frigga smiles and thanks you for your offering.

You turn to walk back and you hear her remind you of what she said before. You smile to yourself realizing you have the knowledge that will help you into the new year...Find your footprints in the snow and head back up the gentle slope and down the path.....When you get to where you started take a moment and start to become aware again. Breath deeply and when you are ready open your eyes......

Reflecting on a Year of Loss: Embracing Sunshine

2011-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

By Ivy

I don’t know about you, but it feels as though this year has been one of loss and heartache, at least for my family and friends. We’ve had loved ones pass away, both sudden and expected, but it’s never, ever easy. Others have been diagnosed with scary illnesses that may endanger their lives. I can only imagine how tough it must be for them to keep their spirits high. Many of my friends have also faced financial loss- of jobs, and homes, and other issues of security.

I was reading on the myth of Frigga and Baldur, as those are the deities we plan to honor at the coven’s annual open Yule rite, and one lesson jumped out at me.

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, what we want is not in the cards; it’s out of our hands.

Baldur is the son of Frigga, a Norse goddess associated with motherhood and the sky. They lived in Asgard, and Frigga and her husband Odin ruled over the Aesir, the principle race of the Norse Gods. Frigga began having awful nightmares about her son, Baldur, dying before his time at the hand of his blind brother, Hod. After conferring with Baldur, it was known that he had been having very similar dreams. Odin invoked the prophetess Wala, and she also confirmed that Baldur was destined for the Otherworld before his time. Frigga, panicked, took the names of every living thing and set about visiting them to gain their oath that they would not harm Baldur in any way. Having received the oaths, they threw a lovely banquet in celebration. The other gods threw objects at Baldur, as it was entertaining to watch them hit the god, but Baldur remained unharmed.

Loki, the trickster, dressed as an old woman and cornered Frigga at the party, asking her questions about the oaths taken to do no harm to Baldur. He asked many questions until Frigga told him quietly, that the only oath she did not receive was that from the mistletoe, as she felt that it was too small and innocent and was unable to do harm to her son. Loki took that information and fashioned an arrow out of mistletoe. He then asked Baldur’s brother Hod why he wasn’t participating. When Hod replied it was because he was blind and couldn’t shoot arrows like the others in fear of harming anyone, Loki offered to help. Hod took the arrow from Loki and notched it in his bow. Loki helped Hod aim the arrow and shot it at Baldur. His aim was true, and Baldur died, fulfilling Wala’s prophecy. Aldur’s wife, Nanna died shortly thereafter, of a broken heart.

At the funeral, Frigga and Odin sent Baldur and Nanna to the Otherworld in a burning boat. Receiving the boat was Hel, the Goddess of the dead. Never had Asgard grieved so much. Frigga was inconsolable. Hermodur, the divine messenger was so touched by Frigga’s grief that he went to try to persuade Hel to let Baldur return. He rode for nine days on Odin’s eight-legged horse until he reached the realm of Hel. Hel didn’t want to give up Baldur, as it was well known that once one enters Her realm, that they will never return to the realm of the living. Finally, Hel broke down and agreed to release Baldur and Nanna, but only if every living creature upon the earth would cry tears for Baldur. Driven by hope, Hermodur raced to Asgard to give Odin and Frigga the news. Frigga implored every creature to cry tears for her beloved Baldur, so that he might return once again to Asgard. Every creature cried. Every creature, but one. Loki had transformed himself into a giantess, Thokk, who refused to cry for Baldur, and so Baldur still sits in the realm of the goddess Hel, and will remain there, until the end of the world, Ragnarok.

No matter how hard Frigga tried, and no matter how many tears fell for Baldur, he remains with his wife in the Otherworld. He’s not hurting, he’s not in pain, he’s waiting to be reborn in the new world. Like Frigga, we cope with the possibility of loss by trying to circumvent it, in any way we can. With treatments, and love, in energy and in prayers, we try to control the situation. This is natural and good, and within our means to do so. Sometimes it works out in our favor, and sometimes it doesn’t. Still, I can’t help but feel as though we get some sort of cosmic “credit” for trying. That the energy we put toward the health of our loved ones, financial stability or happiness is thrown out unto the universe. Not only may the universe apply it where we hope, but also, that this energy, with our pure and good intent might come back to us in some way, guided by the law of return. Perhaps this might be in the smile of a child, a message from a loved one, or in the warm, loving energy of family at the holidays.

It’s important that we acknowledge our loss, but it’s also important that we do not allow our losses to cloud our lives permanently. Depression and sadness is part of loss, it’s part of the grieving process, and it’s crucial that we allows ourselves this time to go through the cycle. However, we shouldn’t allow our loss to completely take away our ability to see good in our lives. The gods will things beyond our control- and we aren’t always going to understand it. It's not easy to move past it, it seems like a new lesson every time. But we should do our best to live our lives the best we can, finding our joy wherever possible.

Open your heart; do not shut it completely, waiting for another loss to come. There will always be loss, such is the nature of life. But there will also always be love, always be sunshine. Don’t let the possibility of shadows chase away your sunshine. Live in the moment, love your family, appreciate what you have today- and embrace your sunshine.

December 2011 Meeting

2011-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

During our December meeting, we cemented in our plans for our Friends and Family Yule this weekend, and instead of our all-coven meeting, we attended the Solstice Party for the SoCalSisterWitches yahoogroup. It seems as though we have lots of RSVPs for this weekends ritual. We also discussed our chosen patroness for next year, as well as our goals and ideas for next year. Soon, the new year will be upon us, full of change and growth!

November 2011 Meeting

2011-11-20T18:09:00.001-08:00

Last night was our November meeting. During the inner court meeting, we hashed out details for our open Yule ritual, and discussed current and possible future Shadow Sisters. Once our Shadow Sisters arrived, we talked about divination, and broke off into pairs for 15 minute readings. Switching and rotating, each sister received three readings from the other sisters. The main reason for the divination night, was so that everyone became a little more comfortable with reading for other people. It went great, even though we had to rush indoors as it started to rain. Everyone learned something, either about themselves through the readings of others, or about how to give readings to other people. This will definitely be on the agenda for 2012!

Evocation of the Mother- November 2011

2011-11-10T11:33:00.001-08:00

Evocation of the Mother- November 2011
by Ivy

Bright mother moon,

Hung high among the treetops,

You shine through the cold November sky,

You are the mother.

Your breath is the crisp wind tearing leaves from their branches,

Scattering them onto your body, the earth,

You are the goddess.

As you illuminate the path on which we walk,

We ask that you be present in our circle this night,

You are who we honor.

Embrace us with your arms of protection,

Return to us the love we offer to you,

Guide us on the path, chosen by our will,

And be here with us this night.

Observing Our Environment Between the Sabbats

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Observing Our Environment Between the Sabbats
by Beth

Living in Southern California we have a much less of change of seasons than our ancestors. Pagans from the earliest times have celebrated the changes of the seasons from the new year to the new harvest to the frost. We also celebrate the sabbats and create a celebration to honor the changes, but how can we increase our ability to be in the flow of the earth’s cycle?

Starhawk talks about the 9 ways of observing in her book The Earth Path. She was inspired by the permaculture movement in particular Bill Mollison who refers to permaculture as “ a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system.” Permaculture lends itself well to the all encompassing earth tenets of the pagan traditions. They both in turn can inspire us to simply take notice and live within instead on top of our environment.

1. I wonder – What makes the sky bluer today than it was yesterday? Why was it cloudy tonight? Why does the moss grow on that side of the tree?
2. Observing Energy – What creates energy? Where is it coming from?
3. Observing Flow – Where does our water come from? Where does it end up?
4. Observing Communities – What makes certain flowers thrive well together? How do the bees interact with the flowers
5. Observing Patterns – From the spider webs to the tree branches to the bark on the trees, how do these patterns interact with each other in our environment?
6. Observing Edges – Where do things end? Where do they begin?
7. Observing Limits - Is there something lacking? Where is the end? Is it then end of our yard? Is it the park nearby? Where the limits in our personal environment.
8. Observing from Stillness - Sit still and see what you can observe. What can you hear? What is right in front of you that you never noticed?
9. Observing Past & Future – How did the trees look 6 months ago? How do they look today and what will they look like 6 months from now?

If we all take the time, even if it’s one observation a day or all 9 once a week to really focus on what is going on in nature or even in our own homes, we will become more a part of our environment and in tune with the changes that are going on with our own seasons.

Samhain 2011

2011-11-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

We held our Samhain ritual last weekend, where we ended a cycle, honored our ancestors, and were cleansed for the new year. The time between Samhain and Yule is a time of rest- some call it "Witches Rest." It's the time for us to hunker down- the calm before the storm that is Winter. Although, most of us are not resting, as we shop for holiday gifts, or get to work on homemade gifts.

Here are a few photos from our Samhain celebration! We were blessed with the presence of three of our Shadow Sisters for our Samhain circle!

Our ancestor altar, before we added our ancestor's photos and candles.

Our ancestor altar, lit.

What our ancestor altar looked like- taken with flash.

Our ritual altar, before the rest of our accouterments were added.

Fire of Transformation!

Pre-ritual preparation.

Luminarias

Our ritual altar, post ritual.

Potluck Feast!

We had roasted veggies, red potatoes, cheese potatoes, black bean and sweet potato tacos, vegan meatballs in some awesome tasting green sauce, edamame salad, vegan chicken and dumplings, and quinoa (I think?), and Beth made amaretto doughnuts for our cakes (and dessert). Prior to ritual, we had bread, goat cheese, mushrooms, and veggies. We know how to feast.

October Esbat 2011

2011-10-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated the Hunter's Moon. Prior to the ritual, we had a short inner court meeting where we did some housekeeping and planned meeting content for the next two months. Our ritual consisted of a bit of healing and connecting with our spirit guides. Due to the content of the ritual, we did our ritual inside, and it was interesting to adapt to the smaller space. But if there's something we're good at, it's adapting. And potlucks.

Who is Demeter?

2011-10-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

Demeter (pronounced de-meh-ter, or dee-meh-ter, not dee-meeter) is most widely known as a Greek goddess of the harvest, and mother to Persephone. An agricultural goddess, it’s said that when Hades kidnapped Persephone, Demeter abandoned her role as bringer of the fruit, and instead searched high and low for her daughter. This abandonment was said to bring about the first winter and with Persephone’s descent each year, this is the impetus to turn the wheel. This is the myth that we usually see at or near most Pagan harvest festivals. But Demeter has a few lesser known aspects.

Some of the earliest writing about Demeter describe her as a triune goddess, maiden, mother and crone. In her maiden form, she was known as Kore, a name later ascribed to her daughter, Persephone. She was known as an mother goddess of Abundance, and also as a Goddess of destruction as the Crone. She is usually evoked as a mother goddess in modern Paganism, but as most know, mothers, while kind and nurturing, can also be forces to reckon with.

In another archaic myth, Demeter was pursued by Poseidon while in her divine form of a mare-goddess. Hoping to disguise herself among the horses of King Onkios, she hid. But her divinity shone bright among the stallions, and she was raped by Poseidon, who had taken the form of a horse. She was furious at Poseidon, but her anger washed away once she bathed in the River Ladon. This led to two of her epithets- Demeter Erinys (Implacable Demeter) and Demeter Louisa (Bathing Demeter).

She also seems to be related to several Minoan goddesses. One of these the poppy goddess, as the Minoan poppy goddess wears seed pods, and it’s thought that Demeter brought the poppy from her cult at Crete to Eleusis. Another correlation found to Minoan goddesses was found in Arcadia- she was worshipped as a Great Goddess: a woman with a horse’s head with hair of snakes. One hand held a dove, the other a dolphin.

Demeter teaches us several lessons, the first being the lesson of motherhood. Now, not all of us will be mothers, but we all can learn the lesson of the mother- caring for something important to us. Some of us are mothers to fur-babies, some of us mother our friends, or nieces and nephews. We nurture and care for our babies, and Demeter teaches us that when someone wrongs our kids, or someone hurts our children, that it’s time to act. No matter how hard we try to protect our children, situations will occur where we find ourselves in the position to protect our loved ones, and the mother will defend their child – sometimes to the death. Whether it’s a broken arm from a skateboard incident, or a physical attack- the mother’s instinct is to protect the child at all cost. This protective anger is a Demeters gift, and ingrained within our spirit. Another lesson that Demeter teaches us is the down-side of single-minded focus. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, Demeter abandoned her place as she who made the plants grow, and instead set off looking for her daughter. She was upset, saddened and focused on her daughter, and because all of her energy was focused on this, all of the crops died, giving us the winter that we must prepare for each year.

In addition to the lessons that Demeter shares, we focus on the lessons of the harvest during this transition from summer to fall: being grateful for the harvest, storing food and preparing for the winter. The cycle of the year ends, and we prepare for the beginning of the next cycle. It’s time to review the choices we made this past year, and deciding whether the outcome is one of your liking. The new year is fast approaching and it’s time to decide what to leave behind, and what we look forward to. We leave past grievances behind, and look forward to the light of the Sun on our path at Yule.

The Goddess Isis

2011-09-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Isis

by Beth

Isis was a teacher, mother, wife, protector. She is considered a faithful wife and loving mother, and friend to people in all walks of life. She embodies many of the qualities that provide us with a template for feminine empowerment. Isis was manipulative when she tricked Ra into telling her his true name, and as she cured him, but through her manipulation she became more powerful. Isis shows us the power of female spirit.

Isis is known to have taught many secrets to her people, the secrets of growing crops, how to use medicines to cure, she is a giver of knowledge and light as the mother of the Sun.

She reminds us that we need to renew and reconnect with people and remember who we are, to work on our relationships and to pay credence to our emotions. Isis allows herself to feel her own emotions.

Isis is the mother protector of all things. We see the themes of death, rebirth, love, empowerment, creation, loss, death, rebirth.

Isis teaches us to reconnect. From Isis we learn that it is okay to grieve, to cry, to show emotion. The celebration of the flooding of the Nile is dedicated to Isis. It is said that the Nile floods because she shed so many tears over the death of her beloved Osiris. She broke down after Set tricked him in to getting in to a coffin and floated him down the Nile. She went in search of his body. Once she found the body, Set learned where she hid Osiris and cut him into 14 pieces, throwing the pieces to be eaten by crocodiles.

In some versions of the myth, she becomes a sparrowhawk and fans life back into Osiris. In others she pieced him back together and created a phallus out of wood or gold, depending on the version of the myth. One common thread is that her patience and perseverance aided her search for Osiris’s body.

Her powerful love was able to recreate him and through that rebirth they magically created a child, Horus. Osiris went to live in the underworld after his death, but still watched over Isis and Horus. Isis is a creator of life in terms of birth with her son, and rebirth with her husband.
She is the magic that exists in every woman, she is simplicity, she is born of Chaos. Isis is everything except complacent and we can learn every day from her lessons. She is not a woman weakened by emotion, but a goddess empowered by her ability to experience emotion. She can aid us in our daily lives if we only remember that she created her own power.

Comparison of Sabbats to Holidays of Other Religions

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Note: if you know the source of the posted image, please let me know so I can give credit.

Comparison of Sabbats to Holidays of Other Religions
by Aislin Lumina

The sabbats, the eight holidays of Wicca can be compared to the holidays of other major and minor world religions, both historic and present day. To facilitate the ease of this comparison, I will explore each sabbat separately and in turn. We will begin with Samhain, considered by most Wiccans to be the start of the New Year.

Samhain

The final of the three harvest festivals, Samhain traditionally falls on the 31st of October. The original intent of Samhain was to honor the third and final harvest of the year, the meat harvest, in preparation for the fast approaching winter. For the ancient Celts, this was the Feast for the Dead. During the Reformation, the Church tried to convert the holiday to observance, feast, and prayer for the Catholic pantheon of Saints. Originally, this holiday was named Michaelmass by the Church, in honor of St. Michael. However, the holiday was so pervasive to the pagan tribes, it was later changed to All Hallows Eve or Eve of All Saints, to precede All Saints Day on November 1st. This is still a very holy holiday today in Catholicism. The most well-known holiday in the Western world to compare with Samhain is All Soul’s Day, or All Saints Day, which along with Mexico’s Day of the Dead, or Dia de Los Muertes, falls on November 1st. (Ravenwolf, 1999). In Mexico, El Dia de Muerte is celebrated two days after Samhain on November 2nd, as a time to honor ancestors through drinking and feasting.

Yule

Yule, celebrated on the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, around the 21st or 22nd of December, is a festival of light that can be compared to similar holidays throughout the world. For pagans, Yule celebrates the birth of the Sun God from the Goddess, a promise of new life in the world. During the Christian conversion, the Christians moved the date of the birth of Jesus, the Christ child, from the summer to the 25th of December so it could be nearer to the pagan celebrated Yule. This, they believed, would make the conversion easier. Many of the pagan Yule traditions, such as evergreen trees, gift-giving, feasting, candles, and wreaths were incorporated into Christmas, virtually unchanged (Morrison 2002). The Jewish “Festival of Lights,” Hanakkah also falls around this time in December (though dates vary year to year). A relatively new holiday, the Afro-American festival of Lights Kwanzaa, is also celebrated at varying dates in December. The Native Americans of the Southwest United States call the holiday “Soyalanwul,” to give birth to the new year and new life (McCoy 1994).

Imbolc

Imbolc, most often associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid, is celebrated on February 1st or 2nd. From the word “oimelc,” or “ewe’s milk,” this holiday refers specifically to pregnancy of the sheep, but more generally to the mother earth “quickening” to life. In the cold and dead of winter, this was a holiday of hope for light to come. In ancient Rome, this time was dedicated to various mother/lover deities over the years including: Vesta, Juno Februata, Aphrodite, Artemis, Venus, and Diana (Arynn 2001). As mentioned previously, the Church was much interested in moving it’s holidays to the dates of the pagan festivals during the Reformation. And so, Candlemas became a Catholic holiday, celebrated on February 2nd, to worship the Church’s St. Brigit. The Feast of Isis occurs in Egypt from January 31st to February 3rd, and there is also a Yoruba/Santeria feast day to honor Oya on February 2nd. Chinese New Year, though varying dates year to year, also falls around Imbolc (Arynn 2001).

Ostara

Falling on the Spring Equinox, approximately March 22nd, Ostara was named for the Virgin Goddess of Spring in Ancient Germany (McCoy 2002). Because the Church could not eradicate yet another pagan holiday, they incorporated many of the pagan traditions, such as eggs and rabbits, into the Christian Easter, which falls around the same time and derives it’s name from the pagan Ostara. In Celtic Cornwall and Wales, Ostara was changed to “Lady Day,” and celebrated the return of the Goddess after her winter hibernation. The lamb, another sacred symbol of the Spring goddess at Ostara, was incorporated into the Jewish Passover, which falls around the same date (McCoy 1994).

Beltane

The old Celtic holiday of Beltane falls on May 1st, or the first full moon closest to May 1st on the Celtic calendar. This is a celebration of Spring and love, in which revelers dance around the Maypole, as a symbol of fertility and a hope for fertility of the land. Balefires are lit (or as they are called in Norway, Balder’s fires) (Mccoy 1994). The revelers would jump over the fires as yet another symbol of the fertility and regeneration that the season of Spring brings. Renamed May Day, this holiday still persists in parts of Ireland, where cattle are guided between balefires, to ensure their productivity for the coming year (Grimassi 2001). Walpurgis Night, a Germanic holiday celebrated from April 30th to May 1st, was a fire festival when witches supposedly held a huge ritual. The Christians later named the holiday after St. Walpurga in an effort to “Christianize” this obviously pagan holiday (Grimass 2001).

Midsummer/Litha

Midsummer, known as Litha to many pagans, is the holiday that falls at the Summer Solstice. Midsummer has always been a festive time, for many of the world’s civilizations. In the Christian calendar, June 24th has been named St. John’s Day. The fires that are burned during Midsummer, to them, became known as St. John’s fires, who the Christians attributed them to in reverence. St. John (John the Baptist) is prayed to on this night for having baptized Jesus and named him The Savior (Franklin 2002). Other cultures in history have long celebrated Midsummer (the longest day of the year), including Mesopotamia, Greece, Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe.

Lughnassa/Lammas

The word Lughnassa comes from the Gaelic word “nasad,” meaning “games or assembly” of Lugh. The first of the three harvest festivals, this was the festival to celebrate the first harvest of grain. During the Reformation, this summer festival greatly died out, though in some parts, the festival was renamed Lammas by the Christians, meaning “loaf-mass” (Franklin & Mason 2001). The Native Americans have long celebrated a day in early August, devoted to the Corn Grandmother. In Ancient Rome, a similar grain festival celebrated the grain goddess Ceres, and even in North Africa, the Egyptian Sun goddess Isis is still celebrated near Aug 1st (Franklin & Mason 2001).

Mabon

The second harvest festival, Mabon (the fruit and vegetable harvest) falls on the Fall equinox, or in the Celtic calendar, the closest full moon to the Fall Equinox. The Ancient Greeks celebrated Dionysus during this time, the god of vegetation. In China, they still hold a festival, called the Mid-Autumn festival, and in present day India, the Autumn Navrati (Nine Nights) is celebrated to worship the Hindu goddess Durga, who was a vegetation goddess (Madden 2002). In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish new year, falls around this time. Foods such as apples, pomegranates, and hallah bread with raisins are served in celebrations of the fruit harvest (Madden 2002).

Bibliography
Arrynn, Amber & Azrael. Candlemas. Llewellyn Publications. 2001.
Franklin, Anna & Paul Mason. Lammas. Llewellyn Publications. 2001.
Franklin, Anna. Midsummer. Llewellyn Publivations. 2002.
Grimassi, Raven. Belane. Llewellyn Publications. 2001.
McCoy, Edain. The Sabbats. Llewellyn Publications. 1994.
McCoy, Edain. Ostara. Llewellyn Publications. 2002.
Madden, Kristin. Mabon. Llewellyn Publications. 2002.
Morrison, Dorothy. Yule. Llewellyn Publications. 2002.
Ravenwolf, Silver. Halloween. Llewellyn Publcations. 2001.

Dionysus Evocation for Mabon

2011-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Great Lord Dionysus,
Twice-Born son of Zeus and Semele.

Student of Rhea,
He who honors and promotes the fruit of the vine,

Lord of wine and drink

Ruler of harvest and agriculture,

Lord of the fertile earth, and of growth.

We call to you, and ask you to be present at our rite of Harvest Home.

Bring balance to our gathering, and bless us with your presence.

Meditation for Mabon

2011-09-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths.
And find yourself in a summerwood.

There is a well-used path at your feet.

Follow this path; enjoy the calls of the lark and robin. You see a clearing in the trees up ahead. In it you find a meadow full of summer flowers. There is coolness in the air, a sense of being on the cusp of change.

Autumn is here. You start to notice that the grass is browning beneath your feet and some of the leaves on the trees you just walked past are dying. The night seems to be creeping in sooner then it had before and your senses tell you that its going to be lasting longer from now on. You wrap your cloak around yourselves more tightly as the chill of the evening air has found its way to your skin.

Returning in to the wood to take refuge from the ever-chilling wind you sit beneath a large tree. Looking up you gaze into its changing foliage. Still mostly green, but you see many hints of brown, orange and yellow. Suddenly the tree seems to let go of one of the brown leaves and you watch it tumble through the air and land on the ground before you. Only to be gathered up by the invisible wind a swept out into the meadow.

Autumn is here.

Sometimes autumn seems the hardest season of all. A season of change. A season to take stock of our own personal harvests, and release the things we cannot keep.

These things that we give up… that we let go of… these things that die in the autumns of our lives… are never really dead. They are within us. They are a part of us. They are us – for we are not the same people we were before their coming.

Now is the time to rejoice in the gifts you have been given, and free them to return to their Source with your love and gratitude. Let them ride into the meadow on the backs of the falling leaves…

When you are ready take one long cleansing deep breath and open your eyes.

September Esbat

2011-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, the year continues to just fly by! I can't believe we're almost to the middle of September. Last night the Harvest Moon rose to her zenith and we celebrated her, and performed a house cleansing/blessing for one of our coven sisters last night. The picture here, is of our altar, with Lucky, the requisite (and outgoing) black cat! One of the most interesting things about last nights ritual and house blessing is that Eggy Sue came out to play after the house blessing. I haven't been able to pet Eggy Sue since Aislin moved into her apartment. When people come over, Eggy Sue usually hides under the couch. After the ritual, she came out, let me pet her, and even rolled around on her back. She sat at the back door, watching us, too. It's nice to see results, especially when they are practically instant.

Witches Day Out at LACMA

2011-09-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, we met and visited the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA. The exhibit included, not only artwork and early sketches, but also props from the films, a pretty cool black lit area, and more. We then had a late lunch at Swingers in West Hollywood, which has a GREAT selection of vegan and vegetarian food. Coming home, Ben (my hubby) and I saw a pretty rainbow in the sky! A great witches day out! :)

August Meeting

2011-08-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had our August meeting. We discussed upcoming events for next month- September esbat, Mabon and Pagan Pride Day, as well as other coven business. Rayne presented her Magickal Maintenance: Protection workshop, and Beth led us in a beautiful working for Aislin and myself (Ivy). We may be a hierarchal group, but we are extremely synergetic - each of our sisters has ideas, experience, and intution to contribute. Blessed be!

August's Full Moon

2011-08-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely full moon ritual and meditation Saturday night, after catching up for quite awhile. Hope your full moon was as lovely.

Lughnasadh

2011-08-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

This year's Lughnasadh theme was corn: we honored John Barleycorn, told an Native American corn story, did a short working with dried corn, had a lovely guided meditation, and more! We also asked for the gods' blessing of our vegetables, which we then ate as part of our feast. This ritual was open to our family and friends and we thank everyone who came and participated with us!

July Meeting: Healing Class

2011-07-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Our July meeting was this past weekend. The inner court discussed our full moon celebration this week, as well as our open Lughnasadh ritual. Rose, one of our Shadow Sisters joined us for our all-coven meeting: a class on healing. We covered an introduction to energy, chakras and meridians, popular healing modalities, keys to writing successful healing workings, and then I set up the table, and we practiced hands on energy healing.

Next month is Rayne's workshop!

May Full Moon Altar

2011-05-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Demeter, we praise and honor you!

Beltane!

2011-05-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

For Beltane, we had our annual retreat. Due to many different factors, our retreat took place at one of our coven sisters' homes. In addition to our Beltane ritual, we made lotions, learned about astrology, made scrying mirrors, did some witchy shopping, practiced scrying, sung karaoke and had a lot of fun. As always, we ate well, with homemade doughnuts and fruit, yummy sandwiches, fajitas, chili, mini pizzas and more. All in varying shades of vegan-ness. Also, I personally learned that iguana's love vegan cornbread. We had a lot of fun.

Witches Day Out at the Arboretum

2011-05-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

For our May all-coven meeting, we visited the LA County Arboretum in Arcadia. The Arboretum is an oasis of trees, beautiful gardens- including rose and herb gardens, and a few gorgeous waterfalls. It also is home to LOTS of peacocks. The peacocks acted as thought hey were used to posing for cameras- spreading their tail feathers and rotating around. If I didn't know better, I'd think they were trained. It was a very beautiful afternoon spent together. Afterwards, we headed over to Barney's Beanery in Pasadena for a few drinks and snacks, while laughing about boys and geography.

Our Membership Process

2011-04-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

We are always accepting petitions for Outer Court membership, though we may not have any positions open.

To join us, you must first meet the following requirements:

1) You must be 18 years of age and older.
2) You must be free of chemical illegal drugs.
3) You must have at least a basic knowledge of Wicca and Witchcraft.
4) You must be of an open mind, kind hearted and unjudgmental.
5) You must be within driving distance of the LA/NOC area
6) You must be able to attend at least 85% of all meetings, classes, events, rituals and workshops.
7) You must have internet access, for most correspondance will be online.
8) If you have a mental illness, you need to be on medication.

Joining a coven is a big step and a commitment, and should not be taken lightly. Take some time to think about it, and make sure that it is the path you wish to take.

1) Download the petition, fill it out and send on to barefoot witch @ gmail dot com (eliminate the spaces and the dot should be an actual dot, and all that). Its in Microsoft Word, if you need it in a txt file, email Ivy, and she'll send it to you.

2) If we believe that you may make a good match with our coven, the High Priestess or officers will ask you some more questions and may schedule a meeting with you. After the initial meet, if you are still interested in our coven you may be invited to join our congregational group the Shadow Sisters.

3) If you will be a good fit with our group, you'll be invited to join our outer court and dedicate to the coven.

4) Outer Court members will be expected to come to open esbats, sabbats, Wicca 101 classes, all coven meetings, and social functions. Outer Court members will not come to inner court meetings, working rituals, closed esbats and some in-coven trainings. Outer Court members will be invited to most camping trips and festivals. Outer Court members are expected to contribute dues (Sliding scale $5-20 a month). Outer Court members will take part in a dedication ritual. Dedication to the coven does not lock one into coven membership in any way, and dedicants are free to leave if they feel the coven is not for them after all. Likewise, the coven is free to release dedicants, if they feel as though the dedicant will not be a good fit.
5) Outer Court members may be invited to join the Inner Court, and if so, will be initiated into the coven, earning the first degree in the Twilight Tradition.

Shadow Sisters

2011-04-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Because I'm sure the question will come up at some point, I wanted to write a short note about our new congregational group, Shadow Sisters. This very small group of friends and aspirants will be joining us at some gatherings. We will still have our open events for everyone (guys included), but this group will enable us to sustain a close relationship with our aspirants (as well as some of our closest and oldest friends), without the commitment that dedication entails. The coven bylaws have been amended to reflect this group, as well as their place within the coven.

April Meeting

2011-04-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

We got a lot done during last night's meeting, as well as our usual snacking and sipping.

We secured alternate plans for our Beltane retreat, figured out what we'd do during this retreat (and our Beltane ritual), and discussed plans for an invite-only "congregational" type group- like a casual OUTER outer court. We also approved corrections to the bylaws in order to create this group. After we took care of this business, Beth led her kitchen witchery workshop and we created a face/body scrub, a foot scrub and a body scrub to take home with us.

Facebook URL Change!

2011-03-31T09:49:00.001-07:00

You can now find us on facebook with a shorter URL: http://www.facebook.com/twilightmoon coven. Blessed be!

Ostara 2011

2011-03-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the first day of spring was hailed by a storm in our neck of the woods. Luckily, we didn't get to much of it last night during our ritual. The Spring Equinox can be celebrated with a ritual of balance and rebirth, and the mother showered us with sprinkles last night as we celebrated our rebirthing (which went fabulously with Aislin's meditation). We had our regular post-ritual celebratory potluck of course, and it included a vegan casserole, colcannon, deviled eggs, cheese (both goat and moo) and crackers. It was a really fun night, and I feel blessed to be a part of such a wonderful spiritual family.

Our Coven Symbol: The Fleur de Lis

2011-03-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

When one thinks of Paganism, Wicca and witches, many symbols may easily come to mind. One that may not, is the fleur de lis. The fleur de lis is the symbol that we’ve chosen as our coven symbol. This symbol represents us in many ways. The fleur de lis is sometimes called the flower of life, or the flower of light, and it refers to a lily (or an iris).

We are connected with an ancient time, a time of many gods: the symbol has been found on many ancient pieces of pottery and other artifacts dating back to Mesopotamia

We honor both male and female divinity: The lily is a representation of not only femininity and the goddess, but within the lily, one can also seen a symbol of male divinity, as well.

We honor our sexuality and our bodies: While it may been seen by some religions as a symbol of chastity, in the Greek culture, the lily was seen as an erotic flower. It’s also known as a symbol of birth, and motherhood- It’s said that Hera’s milk, while suckling Hercules, overflowed, creating the Milky Way in the heavens, and the white lily here on earth.

We may be different from one another, but we are all beautiful, and are all connected by common threads: Lilies come in all shapes, colors and sizes, but they are all lilies, and are all beautiful.

Call and Response for Ostara

2011-03-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is a call and response reading that I wrote, adjusted for a six person group, but could be done as a solitary, as well!

Reader 1: Seeds of spring ride on winter winds,
We circle round with kith and kin

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R1 lights R2s candle)

Reader 2: Butterflies flit from flower to flower
The Mother has refreshed her power

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R2 lights R3s candle with hers)
Reader 3: Posies bloom from buds unseen
To hearken forth the flower queen

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R3 lights R4s candle with hers)

Reader 4: Rays from God upon our face,
They hold us in their deep embrace

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R4 lights R5s candle with hers)

Reader 5: Birds chatter up in branches high,
Sharp and sweet, we hear their cry

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R5 lights R6s candle with hers)

Reader 6: We soon look forward to longer days,
Mirroring the ancient ways

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth (R6 relights R1s candle with hers)

Reader 1: While day and night are of equal length
May the Goddess bless us with her strength

ALL: We celebrate the renewal of the earth! (R1 lights central candle)

Roasted Red Potatoes

2011-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe for Imbolc, instead of potato soup, as Aislin was making vegan beef stew. They turned out rather well.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a baking sheet with aluminun foil.
9 red potatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons (to taste) minced garlic (mine is in a jar)
2 teaspoons dried rosemary (I used 4 long fresh sprigs, minced)
4 tablespoons olive oil

Wash red potates and cut them into quarters. I ended up cutting the larger quarters in half to make smaller pieces. Place potatoes in bowl and add everything else. Toss in the bowl until everything is coated evenly. Lay out on the baking sheet and put into the oven for 35 minutes.

Imbolc 2011

2011-02-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

We certainly had an action –packed Imbolc weekend.

Friday night, we got together at Chelsea’s and Jase from Night and Day Massage Arts came out and we had an evening of massage. Chelsea had transformed her living room into a relaxing candlelit temple. While Jase massaged each of us, the rest of us sat on the back patio and talked, and ate the myriad of munchies that we all brought. It was a very goddessy night, and a great prelude to our Imbolc celebration the following evening.

Saturday evening came, and Imbolc was upon us. Our ritual focused on Brighid and Diancecht, and wells of healing and light. This was also the first time we’ve honored the goddess we’ve chosen to focus on for the year, Artemis. Everyone contributed to a beautiful ritual. Our feast included vegan beef stew, roasted red potatoes and a phyllo and seitan dish. Dessert was Greek honey cakes, and strewsal doughnuts. As the night grew deeper, we dissolved into noisy giggles and the fun continued into early morning, as it is wont to do when we get together.

Our next event is our open event, Night of a Thousand Goddesses on 2/19. All information is found on our events page, and address information will be sent to those who RSVP yes.

2011 Outer Court

2011-01-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

This Spring, the Coven of the Twilight Moon will be opening our outer court to a few new members. If you are interested in being part of our coven family, feel free to fill out our petition here and send it to us. The cut-off date for petitions will be March first.

Yule 2010

2010-12-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

Due to the rain, we held our annual open Solstice ritual in the basement of the Little Old Bookshop in Whittier. We focused on the new year coming, and calling the light back to return to us, which seems especially applicable due to all of the rain we are getting. Of course, living in southern California, we need it- I can just imagine it making the soil of my future garden very happy! But, we aren’t used to getting this much rain, all in a row.

Anyway, we had a great wine, and stayed up until all hours of the night, eating yums, and drinking wine- talking about everything from our future, to politics and prank calls. What a fun way to end our official open solstice evening. This evening, we are getting together to celebrate the moon and the actual solstice with wine and fellowship. Blessed be!
Also, we will be opening to new dedicants this spring. If you are interested in our coven, please check out our website (that links to our blog) or our November 2009 archive , fill out the dedicant petition, located here and send to me (Ivy) at barefootwitch@gmail.com.

Samhain Ritual Ideas

2010-10-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Below are a few ritual ideas for Samhain, some are great for solitaries, while some are better suited for groups. Many rituals will focus upon one or two of these themes.

Theme: Honoring Ancestors
In your ritual, evoke the ancestors
Create an ancestor altar
Write a letter to a loved one and read it out loud
Read a list of people who have passed on either in your life or in the past year
Ask your ancestors to bless an item
Non-ritual idea: Have a dumb supper- make a plate of food for those who have passed on, many eat in silence as part of their supper

Theme: The Dying God
Evoke the Sage/Old God
Honor the God in his last phase of life
Make offerings to the God and/or to underworld gods
Ask for blessings of the Old God for the new year

Theme: Divination
Do divination for the upcoming year
Get together with friends and do readings for one another
Try a sort of divination that you’ve never tried, or that has never worked well for you
Non-ritual idea: Get together with friends, and have a divination night where you teach one another a type of divination- it’s a great way to get introduced to different ways to divine.

Theme: The Final Harvest
Meditate on what you are thankful for
In a group- state out loud what you are thankful for, and praise deity accordingly
Do offerings to your deities to thank them for the good fortune brought your way this year
Ask for blessings for the upcoming year

Pumpkin Doughnuts (Vegan)

2010-10-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

Beth contributes this yummy fall recipe, a hit at any Samhain potluck...

Pumpkin Doughnuts (Special equipment needed; donut baking pan.)

Ingredients:

1 cup AP flour
1 cup WW Pastry Flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup pumpkin, freshly roasted or canned
1 1/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup Earth Balance (or other margarine), softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In to a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, then add in the brown sugar.

Add pumpkin, soy milk, vanilla, margarine, & vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on low speed or whisk until just mixed.

Add the apple cider vinegar & carefully fold it in until just mixed.

Fill the wells of your donut pan almost to the brim. Bake them for 10 minutes, or till golden brown.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven & allow them to cool on a rack.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinnamon Doughnut Glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 tablespoons soy milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste

Instructions:

Whisk all of the ingredients together.

If you like a thicker glaze, add more confectioners sugar, to make it more icing-like.

After the doughnuts have cooled, use a spoon to drizzle the tops, allowing the excess to fall to parchment paper below your cooling rack.

For the LAST time, Wiccans are NOT fluffy...

2010-10-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

.... well, perhaps those who call themselves Wiccan- solely because it's fun- are fluffy.*

But anyone who has any concept of the actual religion of Wicca would know better. There is this “Witchier than thou” ego-centric crap that has made its way through the Pagan community, and it sickens me. Guess what? What we do is not more right or more wrong than what your tradition does. There is this strange misconception that Wicca is all about love and light, and harming none. This is incorrect.

The Wiccan Rede is indeed: An’ it harm none, do as ye will. However, the word “rede” means advice. Not law, advice. We are advised to do what we will, while it harms none. Most Wiccans believe in some sort aspect of the Law of Return, or the Threefold Law. This means that what we put out, will come back to us- summed up it means personal responsibility. Can I do something that might affect someone in a negative way and still be Wiccan? This is a question that does come up from time to time. The idea of what I put out coming back to me is what keeps me in check, regardless of the Rede.

Many people think that Wiccans shy away from protective magick that sends negative energy back to the sender. I am Wiccan, but I am also a Witch. I will protect and defend myself, my family and my coven sisters. Period. If I need to be the hand of the Gods and return what another person puts out, so be it. Does this happen often? No. Will I take responsibility for whatever backblow occurs? Absolutely. Will I still honor both the God and Goddess, celebrate the Sabbats and the moon, circle within the Wiccan ritual structure, use traditional Wiccan tools, and honor polarity, both light and dark? Of course. This can be a little different if one is part of a coven, as then we have hive mind and other issues at stake, of course- that’s where perfect love and trust come in (but that’s another blog post).

Generally, I think that Wiccans are associated with love, light, etc. because one of the goals that many of us have is personal growth and achieving a successful life balance. So, maybe Wiccans are more perky than your average Pagan? That doesn’t mean that they aren’t doing shadow work to get to know themselves better. And if they are- it’s none of your business. Our relationships with our gods aren’t your business either.
If you are a non-Wiccan witch and get offended and upset when people automatically assume you are Wiccan, examine that. Why do you feel this way? Wicca is the most widely known tradition of Paganism. Use it as a teachable moment, not a moment to clutch your pentacle (in lieu of pearls, of course), and gasp- “I’m not one of them!” Explain the difference, don’t propagate more misconceptions of Wicca. While Wicca is more structured than many other Pagan traditions, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for flexibility and self-discovery. This is just done with a healthy respect of polarity and balance. This isn’t fluffy- Wicca is more deeply faceted than you might ever think.

*In this post, I may generalize, but keep in mind, my generalization as Wicca and Wiccans, includes only those who are traditional-style Wiccans | This was cross-posted from Ivy's blog- Beyond the Circle.

Three Facets of Samhain

2010-09-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

It’s difficult to imagine that Samhain is just around the corner, especially when you take into consideration the boiling hot weather we’ve been having over the past few days (114? Really?!?). It’s only about a month away. Our Samhain comes from the Celtic cultures, and their holiday celebrating the end of summer. Here in southern California, we’ve experienced Samhain in a variety of temperatures- from comfortable mid-upper 70s, down to the 40’s. Samhain tends to be the one sabbat each year where the weather is completely unpredictable. By Samhain, the night’s have visibly grown longer, and it gets dark much earlier. Samhain is a dark and spooky time of year, and this holiday has three main facets.

At Samhain, it’s believed that the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. This makes Samhain a perfect evening for ancestor honoring and worship, as well as communication with other spirits, and the fae. Our modern customs of Hallowe’en evolved from old Celtic traditions. Jack O’ Lanterns used to be carved out gourds with faces carved in to scare aware spirits from darkening ones doorstep. In old times, one used to dress up in costumes to blend in with the dead that they believed literally walked the earth on this night. It’s also believed that this evening is the best time of the year to do divination. One of our covens’ traditions for Samhain is to include an ancestor altar with photos and mementos from those who have passed, in addition to our ritual altar.

In the agricultural harvest cycle, Samhain is the third and final harvest holiday, the meat harvest. Thankfulness is one theme of this facet of Samhain, much like at Lammas/Lughnasadh- the first harvest of the year- for grain, and Mabon/Harvest Home, the second harvest- for fruit. During Samhain, the animals were slaughtered, and their meat treated so that the people would be able to survive the cold winter. Many people celebrate this part of the holiday by making sure meat is part of the post-ritual feast, particularly pork. While several people in our coven are vegan/veggie, I usually try to bring a pork dish to our coven potluck for the meat-eaters, for traditions sake.

The third facet of Hallowe’en is found in the Wiccan theological cycle of the God and Goddess. At Samhain, the God dies, to be reborn at the Winter Solstice- in ritual, this also can be tied up into the first facet- the thinning of the veil. Some Pagans believe this to be the beginning of the new year. This tends to be the most popular and biggest ritual of the year in most Pagan groups, and while it can be very emotional (depending on the central focus of your rite), it can also be a very joyous occasion.

Colors correlated with Samhain include black, yellow, orange, silver, gold, white, purple and red
Foods associated with Samhain include: meat of any sort (especially pork), fruits (especially apples), root vegetables (coming from the ground makes root vegetables especially perfect for Samhain, as they are associated with the underworld, and death), pomegranates, and nuts

I’ll be writing a future piece on ideas for your Samhain ritual, and stay tuned for some recipes perfect for your post-circle feast.

September's All-Coven Meeting: Kitchen Witchery

2010-09-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Our inner court meetings are all about housekeeping, and ritual planning. Our dedicants join us for our all-coven meeting, where inner court sisters take turns presenting workshops. Last month Aislin presented an awesome workshop on archetypes, and we worked them into astrological charts for ourselves. This month, Beth presented the first part of her Kitchen Witch workshop (she wants to do a second part), and we worked with herbs. Each sister made a cooking oil, a tincure and a sachet- it was a really fun, hands-on workshop.

Dedication- Autumn 2010

2010-08-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday night, we were blessed with two new dedicants, Kyla and Chelsea. They dedicated to our coven during a beautiful dedication ritual, and we already can feel the energy they add to our coven family. Blessed be!

Lughnasadh 2010

2010-08-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

I haven’t been able to get my photos off of my phone and onto my computer- still, I wanted to write a short blog about our Lughnasadh ritual. We had our open Lughnasadh ritual a few weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon, and it was a blast! Our friends and family were all invited, and we had about 25 people there, including spouses, and children! Prior to the ritual, all were invited to make Corn Dollies, which were then blessed in the circle. Traditioanlly, corn dollies were made with the last sheaf of wheat harvested. The wheat was fashioned into a dolly or other symbol, and then kept safe, ensuring a plentiful planting in the spring.

The main theme of the ritual was the First Harvest, and as part of the first harvest, we asked everyone to bring one vegetable. During the circle, we raised positive energy and sent it into the vegetables, which were later made into soup by our resident kitchen witch, Beth. We had a sumptuous potluck feast, with everything from dip to cheese, to dates, to sweets, and of course, bread- a staple of any Lammas/Lughnasadh circle! We thank everyone who made it out for our circle, and we hope to see you again at our open Yule celebration!

Aislin Elevated to 2*!

2010-08-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, Aislin was elevated to second degree! She's worked very hard to earn it, and is looking forward to her journey to third degree. Congratulations, Aislin!

(Lughnasadh photos + post coming soon)

Maiden Announcement (July meeting)

2010-07-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

With the departure of Blood Rose, the maiden position had been vacated. Aislin has since been promoted to this position. Congratulations, Aislin! She led a wonderful workshop on archetypes at last nights all-coven meeting. We gained some serious insight in regards to ourselves, as well as each other. Besides her awesome workshop, we also went over plans for next weeks Lughnasadh ritual, and some of our upcoming plans.

June Esbat 2010

2010-07-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the moon was full and we had a partial eclipse. Though we were unable to view the eclipse from our location, the energy always is just a little different from your average moon. We took this opportunity to say good-bye to our sister Rose, at least for now.

We are planning on opening up our outer court this fall, and as part of that our Lammas / Lughnasadh ritual will be open to friends and family. Below are some photos from our circle.

OPEN EVENT: Lammas/ Lughnasadh Celebration 2010!

2010-07-02T11:35:00.001-07:00

As one of our friends, we invite you to join us as we celebrate the beginning of the harvest season! This is the first of two rituals we'll open to our friends this year.

The summer is heating up, fruit is beginning to ripen on the vine, warm summer winds warm our faces and our hearts. It is the time of the First Harvest.

The harvest season is celebrate in three festivals- the grain harvest at Lammas/ Lughnasadh, the harvest of fruit at Mabon, and the meat harvest at Samhain. In ancient times, the corn and wheat would be harvested at Lammastide, the last sheaf sacrificed- rather than being taken to ill with the rest of the corn, it was instead crafted into a corn dolly to keep safe, so that next year’s planting would be successful. This time of year was a turning point for the ancient Celts, as the month of August would bring the Tailtean games. The Tailtean games came about as an homage to Tailte, mother of the Celtic god Lugh. He created these funeral games to celebrate her passing, rather than mourn her death. These games originally lasted 15 days. In Wiccan myth, the God is getting older, as he moves slowly toward the end of his life cycle.

Lughnasadh is the time for take a moment and reflect upon what your hard work has yielded this year. What are the fruits of your labor? Have your plans borne any fruit at all? It’s also a good time to change your path if needed- you can sow new seeds to create a new outcome, if what you’ve planned didn’t come about.

This year, we are opening our Lughnasadh ritual up to our families and friends. We will be focusing on our harvest, and in doing so we’ll be asking everyone to bring a vegetable for a soup we will be making. The gate will open at noon, and ritual will start at 1:20 PM. Prior to ritual, you may craft a corn dolly from husks of corn to be blessed in circle. In circle, we’ll be imbuing our vegetables with energy, and we’ll make offerings to Lugh and Demeter. We’ll have potluck snacks, and the soup made with our charged vegetables will be served as dinner around 5:30 along with bread. We’ll play some games, make new friends, and celebrate the harvest together!
What to bring: a vegetable (list of possible veggies to be posted at a later date), a potluck dish (either something for dinner, or an appetizer/snack), any offering for Lugh or Demeter that you’d like to make.
What to wear: coven sisters will all be in white dresses, feel free to either wear white or black, or dress in the colors of the harvest if possible.

For more information contact Ivy at barefootwitch at gmail (dot) com.

Change to the Bylaws (Participation)

2010-06-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

A change to the Coven Bylaws was unanimously voted into effect, effective today, 6/15/10. Previously, the amount of participation expected was listed as 75%.

We have decided to change that for our dedicants, and increase this to 85%. We've done this for many reasons, one being that as a dedicant, one should be making it to all coven events anyway, as we have the entire year already planned out in advance. This is how we get to know one another to make sure that we're a great fit for one another. Also added in the amended bylaw, an participation expectation of 100% for all dedicant classes (though make-up work may be substituted at the discretion of the teacher). This was something that we've always talked about, but was never in writing. Now it is. This doesn't mean that if one fell behind the participation percentage, one would be automatically removed from the coven, but it does lay down the expectation, and yes, if one constantly misses gatherings or classes, one would eventually no longer be part of the coven.

----------------------------------------------

Whereas the reference to participation once read like:

II. Attendance and Meetings

a. Each member of the coven is expected to participate in 75% of meetings, events and activities, including training and studies.

b. Meetings will take place approximately three times per month. Estimated meetings will include Sabbat Celebrations, Full Moon Esbats, sporadic New Moon training evenings, and a meeting/ social night.

It will now read as:
II. Attendance and Meetings

A: Initiates

1. Each initiate of the coven is expected to participate in 75% of meetings, events and activities, including training and studies.

2. Meetings will take place approximately two-three times per month. Estimated meetings will include Sabbat Celebrations, Full Moon Esbats, Training, and/or meetings and social gatherings.

B: Dedicants

1. Each dedicant of the coven is expected to participate in 85% of all assigned meetings, events and activities, and 100% of all dedicant classes. Make-up work may be accepted in lieu of a class, at the discretion of the teacher.

2. Dedicants may be invited to Sabbats, Meetings and other open activities, approximately two times per month. Class schedule will be assigned in advance.

June Meeting

2010-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Once a quarter, we have an all-coven meeting that is purely social, and this month was our planned social meeting. We had our first pool party of the summer, ate snacks, grilled hot dogs, drank water and wine and forged friendship with our dedicant, Claire. The water was finally warm enough to swim... it's almost summer!

A sister departs...

2010-05-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

One of our sisters, Blood Rose, has been on a sabbatical from the coven since the birth of her second child. She has decided to leave the coven for now, and hopefully, when her sons are a little older, re-join. Blessed be, sister... we'll miss you and your energy (now I have to be on the hunt for another earth ;).

May Meeting 2010

2010-05-22T22:31:00.000-07:00

Our inner court meeting was fairly interesting- we heard lots of shouts and sounds coming from the house behind our covenstead. Later on, it turned out the police came, guns drawn, searching through the house for someone. Another interesting thing: we found that a hummingbird had made its nest in a hanging buzzard on the patio where we meet. We discussed our plans, including plans for our upcoming open events, as well as the idea of another former sister re-joining our family.

We'll be hosting an (open to friends and family) Lughnasadh celebration uring the day on 7/31, and we're planning a campout (open to our friends) on 8/20-22. So, save the date if you are interested! Our next dedication (and classes) will be in late August or early September.

During our all-coven class, Rayne presented a workshop on Chakras, and then we worked out some needed dateshifting for our July meeting- we were able to make it work out for everyone. After that, we all got some wine, and Aislin worked through our astrological charts.

We also decided a date for our Giant F***ing Jewelry Party that will showcase the talents of our jewelry crafting coven sisters- 7/10. If you like jewelry, you'll be able to come and take a look at the jewelry creations of a few jewelry artists with very different styles.

Next months meeting, we'll be working on a coven project, our dedicant will be working toward completing her dedicant project, and two of our sisters will be out of town. We have SO much going on, its so exciting!

Fun Photos

2010-05-08T23:28:00.001-07:00

A few photos from our recent photo shoot.

Find more photos like this on {ctm community}

Rayne's Beltane Photos

2010-05-06T14:25:00.001-07:00

Below are Rayne's photos from Beltane!

Find more photos like this on {ctm community}

Beltane Camp 2010

2010-05-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we gathered in the hills of Central California for our annual retreat. This year, we decided to go camping at Lopez Lake, known for it's wildlife. Though the arrival of all the sisters was relatively staggered for reasons beyond our control, we still had a lot of fun, and we relaxed our souls under the bright spring sun! We were unable to do some of our planned activities, but things happen for reasons beyond our ken. Like the long walk to the bathroom. Uphill. Both ways. And the night got pretty chilly... but we had a lot of fun! Mirth, merriment and bubble blowing were definitely on the agenda.

Below is a slideshow of some of our photos- more to come!

Find more photos like this on {ctm community}

Meet and Greet

2010-04-09T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we had a meet and greet, inviting women who have expressed interest in joining us. We talked about our group- what we are (structured, hierarchal, casual, fun-loving), and what we aren't (cliquey, drama, patriarchal, Judeo-Christian). We went over our dedicant process, attendance expectations, goals and rules that are very important to us.

Women from the SoCalSisterWitches social group joined us afterwards for a rockin full moon party and self-appreciation and love ritual.

It was so much fun, and was wonderful to see new faces and meet new prospective sisters. We'll probably have an open circle in the early-mid summer to give our aspirants a feel for how it feels in one of our ritual circles, and then begin classes for those who feel like they want to dedicate themselves to our group.

Ostara 2010

2010-04-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ostara 2010 was so much fun! Below is a slideshow of some of our photos from our ritual. Ostara is a celebration of the Spring equinox... we did this by cleansing, consecrating and planting some plants and creating our coven garden. :) And then of course, we had a potluck!

Find more photos like this on {ctm community}

January Esbat and Imbolc 2010

2010-02-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

Our first esbat of the year went wonderfully! We recieved a few unexpected gifts from the Goddess, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Imbolc was also great - our focus was kindling the spark of hope we have deep within us. We honored Brighid, and began our ritual with a procession with our Brighid in her bed. Beth taught us how to make candle lanterns and we used them during our procession - so much fun! Of course it was followed by a potluck including Rayne's famed hummus pinwheels, roasted butternut squash, "lamb" in phyllo, BBQ "meat"balls, cookies, and tasty cake! Even though it was rainy, we had a backup plan and it all worked out amazingly.

We hope your Imbolc went well, and that Brighid kindles the spark of your hopes within your heart! Blessed be!

Imbolc/ Ostara Newsletter is Up!

2010-01-21T16:28:00.001-08:00

Plenty of fun articles, recipes, poems and crafts to read!

Several times a year, we part of puts together a newsletter with articles, recipes, and more! Below is the link to our Imbolc/Ostara newsletter with fun articles, information and more. If you have some extra time, feel free to check it out and comment if you like! :)

We've decided to go green/virtual, and so no wordsearch or crossword this time- wasn't able to figure it out for this issue- next issue for sure, though!

Here's the link- http://ctmnewsletter.blogspot.com/

Yule 2009 Photos

2009-12-30T09:41:00.001-08:00

Here are the photos from our open Yule circle this year!

Find more photos like this on {ctm community}

Yule 2009: Brumalia/ Yule

2009-12-22T10:41:00.001-08:00

Our sixth annual open circle was a success! We had a wonderful Brumalia-themed wine tasting Friday evening, and had our sunrise circle come the morning- photos to be added soon!

Dedication 11/09

2009-11-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

Let it be known that Claire and Mariana dedicated to the coven, November 14, 2009!
Blessed be!

Rayne Moves to the Inner Court

2009-11-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

Let it be known that Rayne is now part of the Inner Court once again!

New Website Design!

2009-11-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

Our website has now been redesigned/updated- to link to posts here on the blog.

http://www.freewebs.com/twilightmooncoven

Our Coven Family

2009-11-01T23:06:00.001-08:00

Lady Ivy Artemisia
Inner Court Member- High Priestess
Third Degree

Lady Ivy Artemisia is the High Priestess of the Coven of the Twilight Moon. She has been studying the craft since 1996, and has been working within groups for years. She experimented with energy raised online within a small, close-knit online coven in May 2001 and published an article on online covens in New Witch magazine, and was also mentioned in the book Cyberhenge: modern Pagans on the Internet by Douglas E Cowen.

In 2004, the online coven was dissolved after she joined a local eclectic coven in 2003. Initiated as maiden in this medium-sized group (Temple of the Four Elements), she was elevated to high priestess after the sitting high priestess was diagnosed and was dealing with many medical issues. The members of that coven disagreed with one another in regards to the direction, function and purpose of the group.

Ivy decided to let that group dissolve and start a new coven, one rooted locally with like-minded Wiccan sisters who wanted to build a tradition. Coven of the Twilight Moon was born in April of 2004, the first ritual- Litha. Since then, many sisters have found their path have taken them away from the Coven of the Twilight Moon, and many new sisters have found their way to the coven. She believes that through sisterhood, a common vision, worshipping the gods and love- happiness can be found for those who open their hearts.

Her personal interests include magickal herbalism, sacred crafting, gardening, and healing. Ivy is also a Reiki II practitioner.

Aislin Lumina
Inner Court Member- Maiden
Second Degree

Aislin has been practicing Wicca since Litha 1997 when she dedicated herself to the Goddess. She helped form a group in Boston called the Boston Pagan Alliance in 2000. She has practiced solitary as well as with an informal group in Boston made up of members from the Boston Pagan Alliance. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2004, she sought out a new coven to join and found the Coven of the Twilight Moon. She dedicated herself to the coven in fall of 2008 and was initiated into 1st degree in August of 2009. She is currently working toward her 3rd degree.

Beth
Inner Court Member
First Degree- Water

Beth has been a practicing witch for years. Her practice includes magickal herbalism, and kitchen witchery, and usually bakes the cakes for the 'cakes and ale' portion of our rituals.

Rayne Poppy
Inner Court Member
Second Degree

Rayne was originally one of the coven's founding members. After a lengthy leave of absence- and an out of state move- she's found herself back in the coven. She helped create a strong foundation years ago, and it's partially that familiarity that led her back to our circle.

Blood Rose
Shadow Sister
Twilight Tradition Initiate- Second Degree

Lea
Shadow Sister
Twilight Tradition Initiate- First Degree

Lea has been Wiccan for a total of about 4 years, though she's only recently rejoined this path once again after following a different road for a few years. Lea is married and a mother of two children (so far). She is a kitchen witch, for the most part, and is interested in healing magick.

Raven Gypsy Willow
Shadow Sister

Raven is a Pagan mother of two wonderful boys who grew up and is currently living in Southern California. She started on my spiritual path over 20 years ago. Surprisingly, when she was told by her BIBLE teacher at Whittier Christian High School, "You need to find your path" and found an article about Ellen Cannon Reed. There it began. Sje started off studying Wicca (Scott Cunningham ~an AMAZING resource) and as her knowledge grew and she started studying other Spiritual paths, and now considers herself an eclectic Pagan. Wiccan with Buddhist flair, as her great friend Brti says. She believes that knowledge is power and she reads and absorbs from all aspects. She hopes that with this group, she can share what she has learned as well as learn from the group.

Caliq
Shadow Sister

Cella
Shadow Sister

Wiski

Shadow Sister

Hayley
Shadow Sister

Hayley is a strawberry-blonde Aquarian, with an Aries moon, and a Capricorn rising. She is a master's student in Women's Spirituality at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. She lives with her Capricorn boyfriend, David, and in my free time she watches TV, reads lots of different things, writes poetry, starts and never finishes novels, and sings songs. They live in Long Beach, but they've yet to walk on the shore.

(IC wave 1= earth, 2=water, 3=fire, 4=air, 5=spirit)

Dedicant Petition

2009-11-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Click here to download the petition (its a Word document). Send it to Ivy Artemisia at barefootwitch at gmail dot com.

Interested? Here's the Membership Process

2009-11-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

We are currently accepting petitions for Outer Court membership. We accept new members eat different times in the year, though you may turn your petition in anytime.

To join us, you must first meet the following requirements:

1) You must be 18 years of age and older.
2) You must be free of chemical illegal drugs.
3) You must have at least a basic knowledge of Wicca and Witchcraft.
4) You must be of an open mind, kind hearted and unjudgmental.
5) You must be within driving distance of the La Mirada and Silver Lake area.
6) You must be able to attend at least 85% of all meetings, classes, events, rituals and workshops.
7) You must have internet access, for most correspondance will be online.
8) If you have a mental illness, you need to be on medication

Joining a coven is a big step and a commitment, and should not be taken lightly. Take some time to think about it, and make sure that it is the path you wish to take.

Here is an overview of our membership process:

1) Download the petition, fill it out and send on to barefoot witch @ gmail dot com (eliminate the spaces and the dot should be an actual dot, and all that). Its in Microsoft Word, if you need it in a txt file, email Ivy, and she'll send it to you.

2) If we believe that you may make a good match with our coven, the High Priestess will ask you some more questions and will schedule a meeting(s) with you. You may also meet with other members of the coven, or active dedicants. An alternative may be a meet and greet, which may include other prospective dedicants.

3) If we seem to fit eachother well, you will be invited to an open ritual and/or a social event.

4) If everything still seems to fit well, you will be invited to dedicate to the coven at a dedication ritual. While one does dedicate onesself to the coven, the dedicant is free to leave at any time, if she feels like it is not a good fit, after all. The members of the Inner Court also is free to ask the dedicant to leave the Outer Court, if they do not feel like a good fit will be possible. Dedication does NOT guarantee initation.

5) After all classes are completed, Outer Court members may be invited to join the Inner Court, and if so, will be initiated into the coven at next open esbat, or sabbat.

Keep in mind: Outer Court members will be expected to come to open esbats, all sabbats, Dedicant Classes, all coven meetings, and most 'official' social functions. Outer Court members will not come to inner court meetings, working rituals, closed esbats and some inner court trainings. Outer Court members will be invited to most camping trips and festivals. Outer Court members are expected to contribute dues (Sliding scale $5-20 a month). Dedication does NOT guarantee initation. It's more like a trial period, to make sure it will work out. We enjoy our family dynamic, and while we are open to embracing new family members, we want to make sure that they are OUR family.

Requirements: Dedication and Initiation

2009-11-01T22:06:00.001-08:00

Requirements for Dedication into the Outer Court

Must be accepted into the Outer Court
Must write a dedication oath for the dedication rite
Must be ready to accept and follow the bylaws of the Coven of the Twilight Moon

Requirements for Initiation into the Inner Court (initiation into the first degree of Wicca in the Twilight Tradition)

Must currently be in the Outer Court
Must be invited by the Inner Court to initiate
Must have a good grasp of background knowledge of Wicca and Witchcraft (ex: completed the W101 classes)
Must acquire a black robe and a white summer dress or robe
Must write a new dedication oath
Must be ready to advance their studies, and be ready to study toward their second degree

Dedicant Expectations

2009-11-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

Our dedicants are expected to be nice people, and drama free. We avoid a cliquey atmosphere. We aren't judgemental,and we don't put down other religions. In addition to attending Wicca 101 classes, and participating in Sabbat rituals. The following explains some facts about our coven family. If you want to dedicate, you will be expected to adopt these values.

Our group is:

Loving and caring towards others.
A group of women who share the same views and ideas.
A group that wishes to continuously grow through learning.
A group that follows our path, and embraces all traditions and takes from them to form our coven tradition.
A group that is NOT dominating, and allows freedom of thoughts and ideas.
A group of women who are committed to the worship of the Goddess and the God.
A group that is willing to help others, including outside of the coven.
A group that understands their limits and asks for help whenever needed.
A group that always has free will and judgement. No one is required to do anything they are uncomfortable with.
A family of Sisters that can call upon one another in times of emotional distress, sadness, or basic need, without fear of judgement or rejection.
O
pen minded.
Free spirits.
Magickal people who also honor the Earth and the Elements.
A
group that supports continuous growth in the person�s own spiritual journey.
Sensitive to other people in the group regarding their belief systems and spirituality. No Wiccan is the same as another.
Advocates for the Craft, through ritual and spellwork, or being out of the proverbial �broom closet� and educating others.
A group that embraces diversity and change.
A group of women who take responsibility for our actions

Dedicant and Initiate Training

2009-11-01T22:01:00.002-08:00

Dedicant Training

Dedicant training takes place in a series of weekly beginning Wicca classes, casually referred to as Wicca 101. These classes may be open to other women who aren't dedicants, and these classes are a requirement for initiation. These classes teach Wicca from our perspective, and include homework. Even if you have taken Wicca 101 before, you must take our classes.

Regarding W101 and Homework

I wrote the following after a student complained about having homework.

You might know most of what we are learning in Wicca 101 already. But its very important that you keep an open mind and be ready to try new things. Part of being in a coven is learning the tradition, even though it probably differs from your personal tradition. From altar set-up, to ritual outline, to who you honor in your personal practice, our rituals will not mirror them exactly. This doesn't mean that you can't practice your personal tradition. It simply means that while in group, you'll be practicing our tradition. You'll be expected to learn how we do things in our Twilight Tradition... from casting and sealing the circle, to calling quarters, to evoking the gods... you will be learning our traditions. This also doesn't mean that your input means nothing... our tradition is alive, and is ever-changing and building. As an initiate, we all contribute to the creation of rituals, classes, etc.

Part of being a witch is facing challenges. It might be difficult or even uncomfortable for you at times to learn some of the things that we are teaching, or even to perform part of the ritual. Just like it may have been difficult to get up in front of everyone and do the consecration, it might be difficult to practice casting and sealing circles in front of your coven sisters.

It's going to be tough to switch from doing things YOUR way to doing things OUR way. But its important that you face those challenges. Even the small changes can take getting used to. For example, in my personal practice, my altar faces east. In the coven tradition, the altar faces north. Just that small change took a while for me to get used to. Here's another example: say that you might have problems visualizing details, and instead see vague colors or shapes. Well, if we were doing a working ritual that depended on a detailed group visualization, it would be important that we all visualized the same thing. Therefore, it would be very important for you to be able to visualize details.

Another challenge that you may face (especially in Wicca 101) is becoming bored. As a student/dedicant of the group, you may already know a lot of what's being taught. You are only as bored as you let yourself be. And if you let yourself become bored, then you may miss something that you don't know. I'm constantly learning new ways to look at things as I teach the Wicca 101 class. Its not boring, it's all important.

The homework given in W101 is a chance for you to challenge yourself. We don't assign homework so that you can spend a couple distracted minutes writing down the least amount of stuff you can to float by. You choose to be here, and we expect you to be challenged- if you already know a good deal of what we are teaching in Wicca 101, then its your responsibility to challenge yourself with the homework. For example, let's take the homework where you must research a specific tool, for example. If you already know everything there is to know about the cauldron, then choose a lesser known tool, like the boline. Or, research the lore and myths that involve the tool. We try to make the homework as open-ended as possible, to suit all knowledge levels. This is a chance for you to become more knowledgeable, a chance to be motivated to dig deeper into the basics of Wicca.

One of our main focuses is education, especially spiritual education. We believe that we are always students. Even while rehashing the basics, there is always an opportunity to learn. We should always be reading a book on the craft, even in our busy lives there is always time to read. Put it in the bathroom. Everyone spends some time in the bathroom... may as well read. :) If you are initiated into our coven, you will find that our degree system is a self-paced program, where you are expected to read, write, practice, learn and do challenging work in order to progress. We are all about constant learning.

Initiate Training

Initiate training is self-paced, in addition to classes taught by sister coveners. We have a 3 degree system, and it is self paced. It should take a year from 1st degree to 2nd degree (every sister is expected to get to 2nd degree), and then it can take anywhere from a year to several years to reach 3rd degree.

Meetings and Rituals

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Coven Meetings
The coven meets monthly on a saturday evening. The Inner Court meets alone for 2 hours, and then both courts come together for a 2 hour meeting. These "all coven" meetings include classes ran by initiates, craft nights (where everyone brings something that they are working on), social evenings, or game nights.

Coven Rituals
We circle together for sabbats and esbats. Sabbats are open to both Inner and Outer Courts and are held on a Saturday (usually evening) close to the sabbat. Esbats are Inner Court only events and are held the evening of the full moon. All meetings and rituals for the year are laid out in advance in the december of the previous year. All members are expected to attend all events (no less than 75% attendance).

Why Women-Born Women?

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Coven of the Twilight Moon is restricted to women-born women only. Does this mean that we are prejudiced towards (non women-born) people who identify as women, or those who are transexual or transgendered? No, not at all!

Women who grew up as girls have had different social experiences than women who didn't grow up as women. These societal pressures and other experiences of growing up as a women aid us in relating to one another, and also give us common issues and challenges to overcome. Also, many times the energy is very different between women born women, and women who weren't born physically female. Just because a group doesn't allow non-women born women doesn't mean the group is prejudiced- it just means that the group has a focus that is exclusive to women-born women.

Just as a Greek Reconstructionist group has a focus that is exclusive to those who are interested in Greek culture. Celtic Recons would have to find another group that fits their needs.
We understand that its tough to find a group that fits ones needs, and many of the tight-knit covens are exclusive to one group or another (ie; gay men).

There is a group for everyone, and if you can't find one, start one- there are probably people in your situation (age/tradition/gender/etc) who are looking for a coven, too!

Coven Structure and Roles

2009-11-01T21:57:00.000-08:00

Groups of Members

Initiates- Coven members who have been initiated into the Coven/Tradition

First Degree- degree that you achieve during your first initiation
Second Degree- degree elevation after a depth of learning, able to teach
Third Degree- degree elevation to the priesthood
(Initiates are expected to work toward their second degree, but having reached that level, initiates can choose whether or not they want to train toward the priesthood)

Dedicants- Coven members who have dedicated themselves to the Coven, but not yet initiated

Aspirants- Aspiring coven members who have not yet dedicated themselves to the coven, interested parties

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The Court System

Membership is made up of two courts, the inner court and the outer court. Both courts are expected to contribute dues ($5-20, sliding), collected at the monthly meetings.

Outer Court
The outer court is made up of dedicants who are interested enough in the coven to commit to participating in 75% of coven gatherings. Members of the outer court are invited to Sabbat and open Esbat rituals, social events and beginning classes. Some outer court members may be invited to more advanced classes. Outer court members will be assigned a sponsor, who will help the dedicant, including mentoring and answering any questions about the coven or religion. Outer Court members will dedicate themselves to the coven during a Sabbat or open esbat ritual, or possibly during a ritual with that express purpose. Outer Court members are referred to as "Aspirants,"until they dedicate themselves to the coven. Once they have dedicated themselves to the coven, they are referred to as "Dedicants."

Inner Court
The inner court is the group of initiates in the coven. The inner court meets regularly to discuss coven business, and are included in advanced and specialized classes. The inner court works on advancing their degrees.

The combined number of people won't exceed 15.

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Coven Officers

High Priestess- leads rituals or designates the leader, coordinates day-to-day coven business and finances, makes decisions after getting everyones opinions, or organizes votes (usually polls on the yahoogroup). Acts in the best interest of the group.

Maiden- is the HPS back-up and assistant, fills in for HPS when HPS is absent or unable to fulfill her duties

Scribe- takes notes at meetings and coven events, posts on forum, also maintains coven calendar and coven history

Bylaws (Tradition and Coven)

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Tradition Bylaws
11/10- clarified verbiage

I. Introduction
a. The Twilight Tradition of Wicca was created in the year 2004, on the 22nd day of April as a not-for-profit tradition of Wicca dedicated to bringing practitioners together to practice Wicca creating a new, lineaged tradition.
II. Core Values of the Twilight Tradition of Wicca
a. The core values of the Twilight Tradition of Wicca (henceforth referred to in this document as the Tradition) are as follows:
i. Honor polarity- honor both the Lord and Lady
ii. Celebrate the eight sabbats of the wheel of the year
iii. Celebrate the full moon esbat each month
iv. Honor the structure set in place in these bylaws
v. In magick, heed the Rede
vi. Utilize the Wiccan ritual structure
vii. Honor the tradition in the tools and altar

III. Organization and Structure of Covens within the Tradition
a. Covens in the Tradition shall be structured and organized as follows: The coven shall exist of the Officers, Inner Court and Outer Court.An additional congregational group may be created at the discretion of the individual coven. All potential coven members shall be over the age 18.
b. Degrees of Participation
i. Guests: Interested people who attend open events and meetings
ii. Aspirants: People who are interested in becoming a member of the Outer Court
iii. Outer Court Members/ Dedicants: People who have filled out the application, been accepted as a Dedicant , but have not been Initiated as an Inner Court member, denoted by a black cord
iv. First Degree Initiates: Initiates that are beginning their course of study of Wicca and Witchcraft in the Coven, denoted by a green cord
v. Second Degree Initiates: Initiates that are advanced in their studies and/are in training to become High Priestess status in the Coven, denoted by a green and gold cord
vi. Third Degree Initiates: Initiates who have received High Priestess Status in the Coven, denoted by a white and gold cord

IV. Membership within the Coven
a. Membership within the Coven may be terminated at the High Priestess (or Initiates) discretion at any time, and without warning. This includes any of the following reasons: endangering the coven and/or its members, outrageous behavior, alcohol and illegal drug intoxication during ritual, illegal chemical drug use at any coven event, putting the coven in a poor light within the community, untreated mental illness, or conflict/issues within the coven.
b. There will be two courts within the Coven within the Tradition, the Inner Court and the Outer Court
c. The Inner Court shall consist of all Initiated members of the Coven
d. The Inner Court shall discuss most matters of program planning and activities, finances and budgeting, networking and outreach and all other basic coven matters
e. Initiates are expected to heed the Wiccan Rede, and act in accordance to the principles of the religion of Wicca
f. The Outer Court will consist of members that have dedicated, but are not initiated
g. The High Priestess shall be the main facilitator of the coven, in her absence, the Maiden shall assume the position of the High Priestess. If the Maiden is absent, then another officer member shall step in.

V. Offices within Covens of the Tradition; the Officers and Elders Council
a. The officers and elders council consists of the Coven officers and is established to work on policies and discuss administration issues. Offices will be filled, and additional offices may be added as seen fit by each individual coven of the tradition. HPS of each coven will be responsible for filling those offices, and will take under advisement opinions set forth by the other officers. These officers will form an elders council. There may be positions created by the HPS that are not offices such as special coordinators and Sponsors.
b. High Priestess
i. Responsibilities will vary, but may include:
(1) Chairs the Inner Court
(2) Responsible for spiritual counseling and growth of the Coven
(3) Establishes policies for the Coven
(a) Policies may not circumvent nor contradict the Bylaws of the Tradition
(b) When a Sister Covens policy is found to conflict with the Bylaws of the Tradition, the Bylaws of the Tradition shall take precedence
(4) Coordinates training
(5) Leads rituals or designates the leader
(6) Keeps Coven Book of Shadows with help from Scribe
(7) Appoints officers
ii. The High Priestess shall be assisted by the Maiden, or the Inner Court
iii. If the office of High Priestess is rendered vacant by death, retirement, or other reason, the Maiden will step into the office with the approval of the Inner Court. If the Inner Court disagree, a new High Priestess of at least second degree will be decided upon or the coven will be dissolved. If there is no Initiate of the second degree, an acting High Priestess will decided upon, and the Inner Court will actively seek a new High Priestess.

c. Maiden
i. Responsibilities will vary, but may include:
(1) Assists the High Priestess with rituals and other tasks
(2) Assists in teaching
(3) Provides spiritual counseling
(4) Assists in the administration of the Coven
(5) Serves as an example to the rest of the Coven in her participation, ethics and spiritual principles
(6) To be a resource to the coven, especially in her knowledge of lore
(7) To aid in setting up and taking down of the ritual area
( To act as High Priestess when High Priestess is absent
(9) Collects Dues

d. Scribe
i. Responsibilities will vary, but may include:
(1) Keeps minutes at meetings
(2) Handles correspondence
(3) Keeps general records of projects and activities
(4) Keeps written record of Coven history

VI. Grievances
a. If an Initiate or Dedicant has a grievance with another Initiate or Dedicant that interferes in the participation of ritual or other coven activities, it may be resolved in the following manner:
i. The Initiate or Dedicant should first schedule a meeting with the person(s) with whom she has a grievance, to attempt to resolve the issue. This meeting should take place on neutral ground. Participants may request the presence of the High Priestess or other Officer to act as witness.
ii. Neither party will talk, state, write, e-mail, or post publicly any view, opinion, hearsay about the grievance.
iii. If the grievance can not be solved by the aforementioned method, than the person(s) with the grievance should schedule a meeting with the High Priestess or the Inner Court to attempt to find a resolution
iv. No records of these meetings shall be kept, save to record that the meeting took place, the names of those who attended, and any decisions rendered.

VII. Disciplinary Actions
a. If a coven member breaks any of the bylaws or is found to cast the Tradition, the Coven, Wicca, Paganism or Witchcraft in a poor light, she may be subjected to the following disciplinary actions
i. High Priestess may schedule a meeting(s) with the Initiate or Dedicant to resolve grievances or issues
ii. Initiate or Dedicant may be asked not to attend rituals until grievance is resolved
iii. Initiate or Dedicant may be asked not to attend any coven activities until grievance is resolved
iv. Initiate or Dedicant may be asked to leave the coven

b. Disciplinary actions taken by the Coven will not include the removal of an Initiates degree. Initiation is a state, which, once conferred, may not be rescinded.

c. Any Initiate or Dedicant who has been asked to leave the Coven, or banished from the Coven may not claim membership in the Coven.

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Coven Bylaws

I. Core Goals of the Coven of the Twilight Moon (also referred to as Twilight Moon Coven or the Coven in this document)
a. Practice our craft in the Twilight Tradition of Wicca
b. Honor the Gods
c. Strengthen the bonds of our sisterhood
d. Education of our circle sisters, as well as the community

II. Attendance and Meetings

a: Initiates
1. Each initiate of the coven is expected to participate in 75% of meetings, events and activities, including training and studies.
2. Meetings will take place approximately two-three times per month. Estimated meetings will include Sabbat Celebrations, Full Moon Esbats, Training, and/or meetings and social gatherings.

b: Dedicants
1. Each dedicant of the coven is expected to participate in 85% of all assigned meetings, events and activities, and 100% of all dedicant classes. Make-up work may be accepted in lieu of a class, at the discretion of the teacher.
2. Dedicants may be invited to Sabbats, Meetings and other open activities, approximately two times per month. Class schedule will be assigned in advance.

III. New Membership and Outer Court
a. To become a member of Coven of the Twilight Moon, one must go through the procedure outlined below:
i. Outer Court Process
1. Prospective Outer Court member will fill out application online, and send to High Priestess
2. Prospective Outer Court member will attend an interview with the High Priestess and/or Officer(s), where a set of questions will be asked. Several meetings may be scheduled, dependent upon availability. If all Initiates attending the meeting agree, she will be accepted as a Outer Court member (may be online, via email, or in-person)
3. Each Outer Court member may be assigned an Inner Court sponsor dependent upon membership in the coven. The sponsors responsibility will be to make sure that Outer Court members questions are answered, and to be a liaison of sorts from the Outer Court member to the Inner Court.
4. Outer Court members will be expected to come to esbats, sabbats, wicca 101 classes, and social functions. Outer Court members will not come to regular coven meetings, working rituals, and in-coven trainings. They MAY be invited to camping trips and festivals. Outer Court members are expected to contribute dues.
5. Outer Court members may be invited to join the Inner Court after completion of mandatory classes and projects. Initiates will discuss the candidate for initiation, and dedicant may be initiated/dedicated into the coven at next esbat. HPS may overrule this if she feels as though the member would be a detriment to the group dynamic.
6. The combined number of members of all groups within the coven will not exceed 15
b. Petitions
i. Petitions for the Outer Court may be accepted quarterly, each Greater Sabbat will be a cut off date for petitions. There may be other dates where the Outer Court will open for new members, and there may be periods of time that the Coven remains closed to any new members.

V: Shadow Sisters- A Circle of Congregants
a. Participation
1. Membership in Coven of the Twilight Moon’s congregational circle, Shadow Sisters, is by invitation only, and may be made up of friends and aspirants
2. Shadow Sisters are invited to attend most sabbats, all-coven meetings and other rituals at the discretion of the Inner Court
3. Participation is not mandatory, however if a member does not attend events for 4-6 months, her membership within the Shadow Sisters may be terminated
4. Membership within the Shadow Sisters may be terminated at any time by the HPS

VI. Special Requirements for Participation within Coven of the Twilight Moon
a. If one is diagnosed with a mental illness, one must be taking medication for said mental illness
b. One must be free of illegal chemical drug use during their membership in the coven
c. One may not be dedicated to another coven while dedicated to Twilight Moon Coven
d. One must be born a woman to take part as a dedicant within the coven, though open events will be open to those to identify with any gender

VI. Colors, Dress and Coven Symbolism
a. The main colors of Coven of the Twilight Moon are black, white and purple. Coveners will dress in black robes during the fall and winter seasons, and will dress in black or white dresses or other lightweight ritual garb in the summer
c. The coven symbol is a fleur de lis

Frequently Asked Questions

2009-11-01T21:54:00.001-08:00

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the outer court?
The bylaws define the Outer Court (OC) as �Outer Court Members: People who have filled out the application, been accepted as a Dedicant and received a sponsor, but have not been Initiated and Dedicated as an Inner Court member.� Each dedicant/outer court member may receive a sponsor, a person within the coven who can answer any questions about the coven, the tradition, etc.

Who chooses my sponsor?
The HPS chooses the sponsor based on a few factors, including relationships, experience, interests and energy.

Will I be initiated?
As an outer court dedicant, you will be expected to participate in a dedication ritual at an esbat, dedicating yourself to the coven and your sisters. If it happens that you are asked to join the inner court, you will then be initiated into our coven and the tradition.

What is expected of me?
You are expected to dedicate yourself to the coven and your sisters. In doing so, you are expected to come to all esbat and sabbat rituals. (A few esbats may be inner circle only) You are also expected to come to social events and contribute dues monthly on a sliding scale $5-20. For example: 75% attendance is mandatory. If your attendance falls below that, a discussion with the High Priestess will be required. In addition to the in-person meetings, you will be expected to check into the online forum, at least once every few days. You are expected to act as a participant at ritual, and may be asked to help take down or put up the altar.

What about training?
You will be invited to join our Beginning Wicca classes that will take place weekly. Also, you may be invited to a few advanced classes depending on your experience, interests, and other factors.

How many degrees are in the Twilight Tradition?
We have three degrees. When one is initiated into the Inner Court of the coven, she receives her first degree. In order to receive the first degree, one must have some background knowledge of Wicca. One then works toward the second degree, gaining lots more background knowledge, as well as knowledge of catalysts, spellwork timing, etc. Once one receives her second degree, she is ready to train for the third degree, the priestesshood, if she chooses. Once the initiate earns third degree, she is rightfully are able to use the title �Lady,� and will probably hive off a coven of her own. The degree program is mostly individualized, self paced study using a working book of shadows compiled by Ivy, though when training for the third degree, there will be meetings with the HPS to train in counseling, group dynamics and other work.

We are an eclectic-traditional Wiccan coven. What exactly does that mean?
The term "eclectic Wicca" is widely used nowadays and can be used to mean the practice of anything that isn't in the traditional sense. Most traditional covens work with the Gods of just one pantheon. Many traditional covens stick with one ritual pattern, a few set ways of raising energy, and follow a set of practices that are never wavered upon.
The term "eclectic Wiccan" is tough to define. If you are too eclectic, and aren't really following most of the Wiccan traditions, then you really aren't Wiccan anymore. (even if you DO follow the rede). So it's a fine line to be trod.
Our "eclecticness" pulls from our willingness to honor Gods from different pantheons, and our willingness to explore different ways of ritual and magick. We will have a usual "ritual outline" that follows the traditional Wiccan outline, but we will be open to different types of ritual. We will be open to different ways of raising energy and be willing to be serious during times where we need to be serious, but open to laughter when we need that as well.
Sometimes eclectic groups tend to be disorganized and not really serious. That's not us. We are serious about our religion, we are serious about our craft, but we know how and when to let loose and have fun! :) We are traditional in our ritual structure, our hierarchy, our officers, and our degree structure.

What should I wear to ritual?
In the colder months, all black. The Inner Court will be in black robes, so if you want to wear a black robe, that�s great, otherwise black clothing that you can move comfortably around in.In the spring, and summer, we change to white ritual garb.

About the Coven

2009-11-01T21:53:00.001-08:00

Coven of the Twilight Moon is a traditional-style eclectic Wiccan coven in Southern California. We use the qualifier "traditional-style" eclectic Wicca, because there are many "eclectic Wiccan" groups out there who do not follow many of the tenets of Wicca as we percieve them. Over the years, eclectic Wicca has seemed to take on the meaning of "everything goes." We practice the craft of Wicca in the spirit of the tradition. While, we are not of British Traditional lineage, we believe in the polarity of the God and Goddess, we use the Wiccan ritual structure, we believe the law of return, and abide by the Rede.

We honor the moon in esbat circles, and celebrate the eight holidays of the wheel of the year. Our coven is structured, hierarchal and all initiates contribute to circles, gatherings, lessons and fun. That being said, we are eclectic. We honor God/dess(es) from different cultures, we aren't afraid to try new things in circle, and we add to our structure, rituals, classes and sisters- in order to further our growth as individuals, as a magickal group, and as a family.

Most of us are out of the broom closet, for the most part. We may not shout it from the rooftops, but we do take photos and post them online. Also, we are all women-born women, and our practices focus on education, inner growth and sisterhood.

Our Calendar

2009-11-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

Photos from Pagan Pride Day!

2009-11-01T20:38:00.001-08:00

Here are a few photos from Pagan Pride Day...

Click here for more!

And a photo of Aislin and Azi (Rose's son)

Samhain 2009

2009-11-01T20:20:00.001-08:00

On Friday night, we had our Samhain ritual. We honored our ancestors in a ritual circle, wrote letters to our loved ones, and read aloud names of those who have passed. We traveled along a lit path and enjoyed our time together. Following circle, we had a WONDERFUL including Rugala, Pasta Salad (Vegan), Pork Pastries, Baked Potato Soup (Vegan), Lasagna (Vegan- never would have guessed theres no meat nor cheese), Peanut Butter Balls (Vegan), Pumpkin Doughnuts (Vegan), and Spinach. Yummy!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS! :)

Our New Scribe

2009-10-26T10:48:00.001-07:00

Let it be known that Aislin has volunteered to be our new Scribe!

Pagan Pride Day 2009!

2009-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

We attended Pagan Pride Day this past weekend, and we had so much fun! We sold our handcrafted items, and we made more money than we have in years past. This was the fifth year we've vended at this event, and it was the perfect day! Photos will come later. I took some video, and I'm going to try to post these as well! :)

Rayne (Re)Joins Outer Court

2009-09-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Let it be known, that Rayne, a 2* in our tradition has (re)joined our Outer Court. This happened weeks ago, but only had time to post about it now. :)

Night of a Thousand Goddesses 2009

2009-09-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

We invited a few people to this open event. Among them, two sisters interested in joining our group we able to join us for this evenings event. Each sister put together a presentation on a goddess, and presented it to the rest of the group, in a sacred circle. This culminated in an awesome energy raising, and a wonderful, yummy potluck, as well as our traditional fire! Photos are in our photobucket.

Last Weekend

2009-08-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Aislin and Beth- Initiates!

2009-08-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that tonight, Aislin and Beth were initiated into the Coven of the Twilight Moon! Blessed be, sisters!

Night of a Thousand Goddesses 2009

2009-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Save the Date!
Coven of the Twilight Moon presents- Night of a Thousand Goddesses
The Evening of August 22, 2009
Silver Lake, California

What happens when women come together to share knowledge and connect with the Goddess? Magick happens!

Night of a Thousand Goddesses is an event where each participant has the opportunity to educate and enlighten other sisters in the Pagan community. Each sister may bring and create an altar to a Goddess of their inclination, and share the story of their Goddess, as well as do an evocation, an offering, lead a meditation or chant, or any other Goddess focused activity. We usually cast a less formal circle than usual and create sacred space to begin the event, and then go around the circle, where we can explain our altar, tell our Goddess’ story, and lead our activity. Participants don’t HAVE to lead an activity, but it’s really great if most do.

This is the second time we’ve done this community-oriented event. After circle, we’ll have a potluck, and time to look at everyone’s altar. There will also be extra candles available, if one would like to light candles at any of the altars.

This event is women-only- no men.

This year we’ll be having it at Aislin and Beth’s home in Silver Lake. You can find a few photos from our previous event at - http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a268/twilightmoon/NOATG/

If you are interested, send an email to Ivy at barefoot witch@gmail.com (no spaces) :)

2009-08-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

Lughnasadh 2009

2009-08-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

This year, for Lughnasadh/ Lammas, we celebrated the first harvest by making corn dollies and geting rid of bad habits. Sadly, Aislin couldn't make it, and we missed her dearly. We also had a guest at this ritual, Rayne, who is a 2* in our tradition, and who used to be in our coven.

July Esbat

2009-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Esbat last night was nice. We connected with the element of water, and felt refreshed afterwards! :) The moon was high and bright and beautiful!

Midsummer Incense

2009-07-07T00:31:00.001-07:00

Grind and mix the following together:

Lavender (LOTS!)
Rose Buds
Marigold
Mugwort
Copol
Elder
Thyme

Photos from Litha!

2009-06-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Photos from our Midsummer celebration have now been posted! http://s368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/twilightmooncoven/Litha%202009/
Click to see more!

Litha 2009

2009-06-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

This Litha, we partnered with another circle for ritual, and it turned out fabulous. Our circle centered around self-love, and it was a great experience. After the circle, sangria was consumed, our potluck feast was eaten, and we had a little bit of drumming. Aislin taught us all a wonderful chant she learned on a Midsummers evening long ago. Pictures to come!

Elemental Chant

Chorus:
Behold, there is magic all around you
Behold, there is magic all around you
Behold, there is magic all around you
Awaken, rejoice and sing.

I am the air within you,
I am the breath of life within you,
I am the breeze blowing through you
I am all that I am

*chorus*

I am the fire within you,
I am the spark of life within you,
I am the flame burning through you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

I am the water within you,
I am the well of life within you,
I am the wave moving through you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

I am the earth within you,
I am the force of life within you,
I am the ground beneath you,
I am all that I am.

*chorus*

Tomorrow is Litha!

2009-06-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Litha and we're so excited to host a sister circle for Midsummer! We'll post photos this weekend! Hope everyone has a great Solstice festival!

Samhain and Imbolc Photos!

2009-05-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

These have been posted in our photo album... more Ostara and Beltane to come! I'll post a bit about Beltane once I get the photos... :)

Here are a couple from Imbolc:

And a few from last Samhain:

Coven Meeting 4/18/09

2009-04-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

This recent weekend, we had our coven meeting and it was really nice. We did a few of the energy exercises described in my recent blog, as well as one that Aislin had tried before. In addition to being fun, it was really good to practice moving our energies around within our bodies, and from one person to another.

Energy Pushing Exercise
Aislin said that she thinks that this exercise might be in Penczak’s Inner Temple book.

One person is the ‘pusher,’ the other is the ‘receiver.’ Both parties stand facing one another and they might close their eyes to improve their concentration. The pusher begins to direct energy toward the other person with the intent to push the receiver, making her lean back. The other people act as observers, as both pusher and receiver will probably have their eyes shut.

This was a great exercise. We switched partners throughout the exercise, which was my original plan- but time really flew by quicker than expected- so we’ll have to do the other exercises next time.

We also discussed our plans for Beltane! :)

Ostara 2009

2009-03-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

This years Ostara ritual was led by Bloodrose- who did a great job! Our theme was the growth that spring brings, and our preritual activity is obvious if you look at the above picture. Lots of fun!

Imbolc 2009

2009-02-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, Mother Nature changed our plans for Imbolc. Our original plan was to "create" a well, and tie clooties to the trees around it, as well as include a processional lit by many candles. But Mother Nature had other plans in store for us. Rain. And more rain. And still more rain. So, inside we went. Instead of our dressing of the well, we created Brighids crosses.

The rest of the ritual went as planned. We blessed and consecrated flower bulbs that we will soon plant at Ostara. We chose the Iris, because of its association with the Fleur de Lis, our coven symbol. We honored Brighid, and we enjoyed a kitty guest in our circle. Pictures will be posted this week!

Dedication (Aislin and Beth)

2009-02-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

Let it be known that Aislin and Beth have dedicated themselves to the Coven of the Twilight Moon! Blessed be, new (official) outer court sisters!

Prayer Beads

2009-01-24T23:32:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we had our February meetings. We went over our goals for this year, and how we will try to achieve them, as well as introduced our monthly theme aspect. Each initiate will take a turn researching and presenting about a goddess- her lore, activities, and more, and this will also tie into our esbat rite. We're really excited and looking forward to this. Tonights discussion was about personal practices, and devotions. Our craft this evening was the creation of prayer beads. We each created a set of prayer beads that were personal to us, and then, also created a small elemental mala for each sister. Pictures are uploaded here!

New Yule Pics Posted

2009-01-09T22:31:00.001-08:00

New Yule Pictures have been posted!

http://s368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/twilightmooncoven/Yule%202008/